Goliath beetle and its importance
The Goliath beetles (genus Goliathus) are among the world’s biggest insects.
Types - Goliathus regius Klug, Goliathus cacicus Olivier, Goliathus cacicus, Goliathus goliatus, Goliathus albosignatus Boheman, Goliathus orientalis Moser.
They grow up to 110mm long, males have Y-shaped horns and females do not have horns.
Found in the rainforests of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
Beetle larvae, or grubs, are omnivorous and likely scavenge on meat as well as debris of plants.
The adult beetles feed only on the sap of a few tree species in mature rainforest areas.
Goliathus cacicus –up to 95mm long (normally 60-84mm) and lives only in mature rainforests.
Goliathus regius - It can grow up to 105mm long (normally 75-95mm) and prefers to live in drier forests.
Significance to ecosystem
They have an important role in moving nutrients throughout the forest ecosystem to nourish other plants and animals.
Goliath beetle is an excellent indicator of forest health, if they are abundant in a forest, it means the forest is in a good enough condition to support other species.
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