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| Goliath beetles | ||||||||||||||
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 Goliathus regius
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Goliathus albosignatus |
The Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. They are members of subfamily Cetoniinae, within the scarab beetle family. Goliath beetles can be found in many of Africa's tropical forests, where they feed primarily on tree sap and fruit. Little appears to be known of the larval cycle in the wild, but in captivity, Goliathus beetles have been successfully reared from egg to adult using protein-rich foods such as commercial cat and dog food. Goliath beetles measure from 60–110 millimetres (2.4–4.3 in) for males and 50–80 millimetres (2.0–3.1 in) for females, as adults, and can reach weights of up to 80–100 grams (2.8–3.5 oz) in the larval stage, though the adults are only about half this weight. The heavily armored adults are so large that when flying, they produce a sound akin to a toy helicopter in flight. The females range from a dark brown to silky white, but the males are nomally brown/white/black or black/white.
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Classification
Goliath beetles are members of the insect order Coleoptera, family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae, tribe Goliathini, genus Goliathus.
Habitat
All Goliathus species are native to Africa. They are primarily tropical, although one species, G. albosignatus, is localized in the more temperate southeastern portion of Africa. It is in the continent's equatorial rain forests that the Goliath beetles have reached their greatest diversity.
Life cycle
The female Goliathus lays its eggs in soil early in the rainy season. Goliathus larvae are somewhat unusual among cetoniine scarabs in that they have a greater need for high protein foods than do those of most other genera. Pellets of dry or soft dog or cat food (buried in the rearing substrate on a regular schedule) provide a suitable diet for Goliathus larvae in captivity. However, a substrate of somewhat moistened, decayed leaves and wood should still be provided in order to create a suitable medium for larval growth. The young stage larvae (1st instar) will eat some of this material. Even under optimum conditions, the larvae take a number of months to mature fully because of the great size they attain. They are capable of growing up to 150 millimetres (5.9 in) in length, and reaching weights in excess of 100 grams (3.5 oz). When maximum size is reached, the larva constructs a rather thin walled, hardened cell of sandy soil in which it will undergo metamorphosis (pupation) to the adult state. Once building of this cocoon is completed, the larva transforms to the pupal stage, which is an intermediate phase between the larval and adult stages. During the pupal duration, the insect's tissues are broken down and re-organized into the form of the adult beetle. Once metamorphosis is complete, the insect sheds its pupal skin and undergoes a period of hibernation as an adult beetle until the dry season ends. When the rains begin, the beetle breaks open its cocoon, locates a mate, and the entire life cycle starts over again. The adult beetles feed on materials rich in sugar, especially tree sap and fruit. Under captive conditions, adults can sometimes live for about a year after emerging from their pupal cells. Longevity in the wild is likely shorter on average due to factors such as predators and weather. The adult phase concentrates solely on reproduction (sex), and once this function is performed, the time of the adult beetle is limited, as is true for the vast majority of other insect species.
See also
External links
- Goliathus - The African Goliath Beetles
- Goliathus Breeding Manual
- Photos of Goliathus albosignatus
- Photos of Goliathus cacicus
- Photos of Goliathus goliathus
- Photos of Goliathus orientalis
- Goliath beetles
- Goliathus beetle breeding
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 13 October 2008, at 08:23.
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