Goliath beetle classification, distribution, lifestyle, food

Scientific name: Goliathus

Classification:

Scientific name: Goliathus

Phylum: Arthropoda

Order: Coleoptera

Higher classification: Scarabs

Family: Scarabaeidae

Genus: Goliathus

^[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliathus

Introduction

Goliaths are one of the largest insects in the world, as well as adults and worms. Goliaths are considered to be the heaviest of all insects. The larva can reach 100 grams, large 50-60 grams, and large 12 cm long.

Facts about the goliath beetle

• Goliath insects are usually 2.1 to 4.2 inches and weigh 1.7 ounces in the adult category.
• At the caterpillar level, the giant Goliath can weigh up to 3.5 ounces.
• Goliaths are also known to be the largest insects in the world due to their power: they can lift to 850 times their weight.
• The color of the body of Goliath insects depends on the species, but it is usually a combination of black, white, and white.
• Men and women can be easily distinguished. Women do not have Y-shaped horns on their heads. Unlike men, women have a strange head.
• Goliath insects have six legs decorated with sharp claws. They help climb trees.
• The giant Goliath has two wings, called elytra, which protect the delicate feathers of the earth. They are very tall (two-thirds of the total length of the body) and are behind the body. As the insect spreads its wings, the second pair of wings appear.
• Goliaths feed on a variety of plants, fruits, manure, and dead animal remains.
• Goliath is an important part of the food chain in the ecosystem, as it removes decaying plants and animals.
• Goliath insects that undergo a complete metamorphosis include the following stages: egg, worm, pupa, and adult insect.
• The female lays her eggs in protein-rich soil. They are needed for growing insects.
• The caterpillar makes a hole and hides underground for about five months. The worm can grow up to 5 inches (5 cm) in length. When the monsoon season begins, the caterpillar stops growing and turns into pupae.
• The metamorphosis from pupae to adults occurs underground. The adult insect will sleep until the weather improves (until the starting of the dry season).
• At the start of the dry season, the adult beetle comes out to the nest and begins to look for a mate. In the forest, Goliath’s insects die soon after they meet.
• The average existence of the golden beetle is a year in captivity and little months in the wild

Distribution

Goliath insects are a small family Cetoniinae in the family Scarabaeidae. Insects are found in tropical Africa. Adult insects eat the juice or fruits, little is well-known about worms, which can eat for months earlier they grow. Caterpillars are believed to eat wood that grows in the wild, but indication from the breeding of these insects in detention proposes that they have to take more protein in their diet than other beetles. ^[2]https://www.thoughtco.com/goliath-beetle-4775832#:~:text=than%20their%20weight.-,Habitat%20and%20Distribution,in%20subtropical%20regions%20as%20well.

Life cycle

The Goliathus larva is rare among cone organisms as it prefers high protein diets.  Dry or soft food pellets for dogs or cats (occasionally buried in a growing area) provide suitable food for larva in Johannesburg. However, a slightly moist substrate of damaged leaves and wood must be constantly dispersed to create a suitable environment for caterpillar growth.

Young animals (the first step) eat some of these substances. Even in ideal conditions, caterpillars need several months to fully develop due to the size they reach. They can grow up to 250 millimeters (9.8 inches) high and weigh over 100 grams. When the extreme size is reached, the caterpillar forms a thin-walled solid sand cell that will struggle to change to reproduce and mature.

When cocoon construction is complete, the caterpillar develops into a pupal stage, which is the central part between the caterpillars and the adults. During lactation, insect pests rot and rearrange into a large bed. After the transition is far-reaching, the insect drops its skin and enters a dormant period as an adult insect by the end of the summer season. ^[3]https://www.sps186.org/downloads/basic/604852/raz_lj38_goliathbeetlesgiantinsects_clr.pdf

Food

When it starts to rain, the insect burrows into the nest, recovers, and the rest of life begins anew. Insects feed on sugary foods, especially tree sap and fruit. In captivity, adults can at times live for about one year after leaving the cell. Life expectancy in the wild can be short due to factors such as wildlife and climate. The adult segment is mainly focused on reproduction, and when this function is complete, as with most other insects, the greater bedtime is limited.

Threats

Some people like to take this Goliath beetle as a pet animal, so hunting of this beetle by humans  has repoeted 

Written by: Dr. Muhammad Mohsin Ahsan

Reviewed by:
Dr. Muhammad Tahir Ph.D. (PU)
Post Doctorate
American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA