Goliathus Beetle side view

Insecta Coleoptera Scarabaeidae
Cetoniinae Goliathus Goliatus

Goliathus Beetle

Goliathus beetles are considered to be amongst the largest members of Insecta in the world by mass. Virtually all beetles of this size and class are native to Africa; this particular specimen hales from Cameroon and was collected in 2002 from that location. It is interesting to note, that just as other major classes of animals tend to become the favorites of a particular location, so too is this true for insects. You will find that Africa has a great number of impressive Cetoniinae beetles that far outweighs any other location on earth. These beetles are highly variable in their lifespan which is mostly due to the availability of mating. Once successful copulation occurs, a Goliathus will soon die, however in captivity this species can live for several years making them good candidates for pets, although hard to come by. The larval stage of the Goliathus requires a high protein diet which makes cat food very suitable for them in captivity. Living in the compost of the forest floor affords the same nutrients. However, this may be a one way comparison… I have not successfully moved my cats over to jungle floor compost as of yet.

The wings of this beetle are the same as in other beetles in that they fold at the midpoint to be easily retracted. It is said that they sound like toy helicopters while in flight. This particular specimen is at the highest end of quality at over 100 mm and is ranked as A1 flawless. These beetles are very difficult to obtain without extensive damage to the back because of the velvet covering that can become easily scratched during the beetle’s life as a gladiator as well as during the mounting process or transportation. Great care must be taken to avoid touching it altogether. It’s like a heartier version of moth wing scales. The other side of the difficulty of getting good specimens is that when grown in captivity, they tend not to be as large. To get the perfect specimen you need to find a wild caught beetle that has not had an extensive fighting lifestyle. That makes these specimens some of the more expensive beetles to collect.