Top 10 Largest Beetles In The World – What do you know about Beetles? Beetles are group of insects that form the order Coleoptera, these insects are known to have pair of wings that are hardened into wing cases which distinguishes them from other insects. Coleoptera are known to have about 400,000 species and it is known to be the largest of all orders; beetles feed on plants break down, fungi and plant debris. Some species of beetles are dangerous to plants, while some are not. Beetles are known to undergo complete metamorphosis which means they are Endopterygotes, they undergo changes in body structure between hatching and adulthood after having an immobile pupal stage. The body of a beetle comprises of the head, thora, and some other parts. The head has mouth parts which are projected forward or sometimes downward, eyes of the beetle are compound and it may display some remarkable adaptability, beetles are known to have antennae which carry out sensory perception and it detect motion, the antennae are quick to detect smell of chemical substances and odour. Apart from using the antennae for this purposes, they use it also for other purposes in the case of tiger beetles which does not see well at night, so they move it close to their eyes to avoid obstacles, some use it for grasping, others use it for balance while some for gathering air.

The thorax of a beetle is segmented into two parts the pro thorax and the pterothorax. The thorax is the part of the beetle where all three pairs of legs and two sets of wings arise. Beetles have claws, their flight wings are crossed with veins and are folded after landing. Although, some beetles have lost the ability to fly, these includes some ground beetles. Their digestive system are primarily meant or it’s adaptive to herbivorous diets that is why they mostly feed on plants and break down of animals sometimes, digestion takes place mostly in the midgut, their nervous system is the same with that of other insects it contains three thoracic and seven or eight abdominal ganglia, they inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Air enters the body through the spiracles and circulates in haemocoel in a system of tracheae and tracheoles, through whose walls the gases can diffuse. In the case of diving beetles, they carry a bubble of air with them when they dive, the bubbles are contained in the elytra or against the body when they dive, this is done through the use of specialised hydrophobic hairs. In terms of the circumstances system, they have the open circulatory system which is based on hemolymph either than blood, it has inlets or ostia at intervals down its length apart from all these, beetles are known to have specialized organs which are responsible for attracting mates. Many insects use the pheromones but in the case of beetles, it’s different.

They have intricate mating behaviour. Before mating, the male and females may vibrate on the object they are on, the male climbs onto the dorsum of the female and strokes his antennae on her head, palps, and antennae. Mating behaviour of beetles differs from species to species, without the precopulatory ritual they may not mate at all. Competition can play part in the mating roles of beetles, some males may defend their territory and avoid other males from coming close to them, males who are stronger often gets lots of females around them and during mating the sperm from the males transfer to the egg of the females. We have given much information about beetles, let’s not divert out of the topic. Below are the top 10 largest beetles in the world.

Top 10 Largest Beetles In The World 2019

Goliath Beetle

  • 1. Goliath Beetle

The Goliath beetle has been known to be one of the largest beetles in the world in terms of weight and size. They possess a reinforced set of wings that act as protective covers for their secondary pair of wings and abdomen. Only the second set of wings for the Goliath beetle are used for flying when they are not in use they are kept completely folded in the elytra. Their legs have sharp claws which help them in tree climbing and griping while the males have a sharp horn on the head which are used for fighting battles with other males for food and mates, the female Goliath beetle doesn’t have horns but rather they have a wedge-shaped head which assists them in burrowing when they lay eggs. The Goliath beetle weighs 3 ounces, 7.8 inches to 9.8 inches long and it’s found in the tropical forest.

Titan Beetle – One Of The Largest Beetles In The World

  • 2. Titan Beetle

Taking the number two spot is the titan beetle. This insect is measured 6.6 inches in length. The titan beetle larvae have never been found as it can take up to 10 years before reaching pupal. The boreholes which are created by this insect is said to reach one foot long and two inches wide this is done at the larvae stage. The adult titan beetle defends themselves by hissing, biting and they have sharp spines and strong jaws. Titan beetle can be found in the rain forests of Venezuela, Ecuador, north-central Brazil, and so many other places.

Hercules Beetle

  • 3. Hercules Beetle

The Hercules beetle is a species of rhinoceros beetle, they are found in the rain forests of Central America and Northern America. This beetle may reach up to 7 inches in length with the horn, with the name implies Hercules beetle which signifies strength and very huge. The body of males may be black with the exception of elytra which can have shades of olive green. The males are the only species which has the horn which means the Hercules beetle is sexually dimorphic. The female Hercules beetle has punctured elytra which are usually entire black but sometimes have the last quarter coloured which looks exactly like that of the males. Hercules beetle feed on rotting wood during its larvae stage and they feed on fresh and rotting fruits during their adult stage.

Blue Longhorn Beetle

  • 4. Longhorn Beetle

The longhorn beetle is a rival to the titan and Hercules beetle. This beetle measures up in size to be about 6.6 inches long. Their body length is mostly gotten from their long mandibles, in various members of their family their antennae are quite short. The family is large with over 26,000 species described. The larvae bore into woods where they can cause excessive damage to trees or untreated lumber.

Stag Beetle

  • 5. Stag Beetle

These are a group of about 1,200 species. The name is derived from the large and distinctive long mandibles, the stag beetles are mostly found in Europe. The male stag beetles use their jaw to fight over food and other females for mating, these beetles are known to feed on tree sap and decaying fruits, their appearance is fearful to humans but despite this, they are not aggressive to human beings. The female stag beetles have smaller mandibles than the males but it’s much stronger and in terms of body size the males grow larger than them. In the larvae stage, the female can be distinguished from males by the presence of cream coloured fat ovaries which is visible through the skin. These beetles are known to grow up to 5 inches.

  • 6. Atlas Beetle

The Atlas beetle reaches a length of about 2.5 inches to 5 inches although the females are smaller than the males. The males have specialized horns on their head in which they used in fighting for food and mating rights.

  • 7. Elephant Beetle

The elephant beetle is known to measure from 2,75 inches to 4.75 inches. These beetles are black in colour and they are covered with fine microscopic hair around their body. The males have two horns, one protruding from the head and the other from the prothorax. The horns are used for defense against other males for food and for mates.

  • 8. Capricorn Beetle

Capricorn beetles grow from 2.5 inches to 4 inches. These beetles are known to have a robust and long body, the male Capricon beetles are known to have long antennae which are like a thread like and they are longer than their body. In the aspect of the females, they are only as long as the hard wing cases, legs and body are black with the exception of the elytra which is reddish brown towards the tip.

  • 9. Pine Sawyer Beetle

The Pine sawyer beetle is known to reach a length of about 3 inches long, these beetles are spread throughout the world and are mostly black in colour. They live in coniferous trees of the southwest and Pacific Northwest united.

  • 10. Figeater Beetle

The figeater beetle is popularly called crawly backs, they are known to roll on their backs and propel themselves upside down. These beetles grow approximately 1.25 inches and they are semi coloured glossy green on the top, on their underside and legs, they are indecent green.

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The beetles which are listed above are the largest we have in the world today. Much vital information has been given in this post. If you are carrying a research work on Insects or beetles to be particular then this article is definitely for you.

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