Royal Goliath Beetle Fact Sheet Common Name: Royal Goliath Beetle Scientific Name: Goliathus regius Wild Status: Unknown Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical regions Country: Western Africa, countries such as Ghana, Guinea, & The Ivory Coast Shelter: Trees/Burrows Life Span: Roughly 4 months until they are adults after hatching, then adults live 3 months on average Size: Males can grow over 4 inches, and weigh 3.5 ounces Details: The Royal Goliath Beetle is one of 5 different species of Goliath Beetle, and all rank among the largest insects on the planet. The lifespan of this beetle, like many insects, is not very long...however because of their large size, the young larvae can take months to grow and fully mature. Goliath Beetles are from the insect family known as Scarabaeidae , the family that also includes Scarabs. Goliath Beetles tend to eat food that is high in sugar like fruits, as well as dung, and dead animals. Lizards and Birds of Prey that live in the forests of the Goliath Beetle tend to be some of their strongest predators. Cool Facts: • Goliath Beetles are some of the strongest animals on the planet - they can lift 850 times their own body weight. • Their legs are equipped with sharp claws that can help them with climbing trees. • In the wild, Goliath Beetles do not live very long and often die soon after mating. • Goliath Beetles are generally made up of black, white, and brown colors, however this can vary depending on their subspecies. • The outer wings of the Royal Goliath Beetle are called "elytra", and these harder coverings help protect the softer wings underneath. Taxonomic Breakdown: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Anthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Scarabaeidae Subfamily: Cetoniinae Genus: Goliathus Species: G. regius Conservation & Helping: Currently the Royal Goliath Beetle is not listed by the IUCN, and either has deficient data or has not been evaluated. Download all our fact sheets, take our quizzes, and more, all in the Critter Squad Kids’ Zone! https://www.crittersquad.com/kids-zone/.