Goliath Beetle

Have you ever seen what you thought was the BIGGEST BEETLE IN THE WORLD?  Well, it so happens that we are actually zooming in on the one and only Goliath Beetle, the real life-fact checked biggest beetle there is!

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Critter At A Glance

What is the Goliath Beetle like? These dark colored beetles grow to be the size of your hand!  They have an inner and outer set of wings and can actually fly even though they are huge!  Their bodies can carry things 850 times their own weight.  They don’t have teeth but have a mandible that can pinch! OUCH!

How do they grow?  These fascinating insects go through metamorphosis.  If you think about the life cycle of a butterfly or a bee, you’re on the right track.  Goliath Beetles start as a tiny egg, change into a larva, a pupa, and finally an adult beetle.  The larvae make cocoons in the wet season, then emerge as a pupa in the dry season. The larvae are massive, like a worm meets a caterpillar.  

Where do they live?  These beetles can be found in rainforests in Southeastern Africa.  They hide in leaves and logs on the ground and prefer to just fly away or hide from predators or danger.  

 

Let’s jump into a story about the gentle giant, Igor. 

Are you ready for an out of this world fact?  

Male Goliath Beetles have Y-shaped horns on their heads.  They use it in fights for territory and finding a female. Females have wedge shaped heads that are used to digging underground. 

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Today’s challenge is to draw your very own Goliath Beetle. Use this video below to get some inspiration from one up close. You can make it as realistic or as make-believe inspired as you wish! Can’t wait to see them.

Share your masterpieces on Instagram or Facebook! #heymrjim

Bailey, Regina. “Goliath Beetle Facts.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 22 Nov. 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/goliath-beetle-4775832.

“The 6 Goliath Beetle Species and Their Facts - Natural History Curiosities.” Natural History Curiosities, https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHistoryCuriosities, 22 Aug. 2020, https://www.naturalhistorycuriosities.com/insects/the-6-goliath-beetle-species-and-their-facts/.

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