adult Goliath Beetle

The beetle will then harden, to a shell called an exoskeleton, still underground.
When the wet season arrives again it will be awakened to emerge from its underground home when the water soaks down to soften the shell of its encasement.

He or she will then fly away in search of a potential mate and the entire things begin again.

Adult Goliath beetles will eat nearly any food that is high in sugar or glucose, particularly tree sap. They will also eat fruit, when it is very ripe.

Goliath beetles have a first pair of wings which are protective covers for their secondary pair of wings. Only the second pair of wings is actually used for flying.

The adult Goliath Beetle will take flight immediately, in search of mating opportunities. Though in captivity the Goliath Beetle is known to live for up to a year, those in the wild have a much less stable and protected life. He has many predators, and is often wrecked by harsh weather patterns. Feasting on the compound sugars in over ripened fruits and dense saps, he will settle with fresh fruits when supplies are short. His most important job finished with the completion of the mating season, the Goliath Beetle is merely wandering about in hopes of finding delicious treats. The end of his life in the wild usually occurs with 6 to 8 months of his first flight.

Goliath beetles are some of the largest insects in the world both as adults and larvae. It is thought that Goliath beetles are the heaviest of all the insects. Larvae can weigh as much as 100 grams and adults 50-60 grams, the adults can also reach 12 centimetres in length.

Goliath beetles are a subfamily, the Cetoniinae, within the Family Scarabaeidae (the Scarabs). The beetles are native to tropical regions of Africa. Adult beetles feed on plant sap or fruit but little is known about the larvae which can feed for many months before pupating. It is thought the larvae feed on rotting wood in the wild but, evidence from rearing these beetles in captivity, suggests they require more protein in their diet than other scarab beetles.