The biggest bug is the Goliath beetle. These are huge, heavy insects that grow up to 6 inches long with antennas that are almost 3 times as long.
Their bodies are mostly black, with iridescent green-blue wing casings on their sides. They can be found all over Africa and Madagascar, living in soils of humid forests near rivers, and streams.
The life span of this insect is around one year or longer if it survives its first winter season after birth, which is unlikely because they cannot fly away, so they get eaten by other animals while trying to escape danger.
Nocturnal by nature, they’re most active at dusk feeding on larger arthropods like spiders and millipedes under cover of darkness, but during the day they’re more likely to be found burrowing underground or resting under plants.
The Goliath beetle’s diet may consist of leaves, decaying fruits, and animal droppings depending on their habitat. They will sometimes even eat sand if there is no other food available because it helps them digest their food better. Besides using its huge mandibles for tearing food apart, it uses its feet to push against the leaves or bark of a tree, so it can tear off chunks to eat.
The Goliath beetle is the biggest bug in the world, but they are also very important because they help recycle important nutrients back into the soil. They are not pests and actually do more good than harm by leaving feces in the soil that is good for plants to grow.
Goliath beetles are also very likely because they can be found in zoos, though not many people have seen them because their habitats are usually left undisturbed by humans.
