With over 350,000 different species found throughout every continent except Antarctica, beetles are the largest order in the animal kingdom. While many gardeners see beetles as ordinary pests, they can actually be crucial for controlling other pests and insects, promoting healthier soils for agriculture, improving hygiene in developing nations, and acting as pollinators much in the way bees and butterflies do. Most of the world’s beetles average about the size of a fingernail or smaller, but a select few reach astonishing sizes. Let’s take a look at just 10 of the world’s largest beetles.
World’s Largest Beetles
1. Goliath Beetle
In terms of mass, the Goliath beetle wins with an astounding weight of 3 ounces. This massive black and white horned beetle measures from 2.5 to 4.5 inches and is found in the African tropical forests.
2. Titan Beetle
The incredible length of 6.5 to 7 inches of the Titan beetle makes it the longest beetle in the world. Its larvae have never been found but adult Titans, which resemble giant cockroaches, are found in the South American rainforests.
3. Hercules Beetle
The Hercules is a flying beetle with an average length of 5.75 to 6.75 inches. Hailing from Central America and Mexico, it can move objects 850 times its own weight.
4. Stag Beetle
The largest beetle in Europe is the Stag beetle. Named for its antler-like appendage, this black beetle grows from 2 inches up to nearly 5.
5. Capricorn Beetle
Another beetle of Europe is the Capricorn beetle, a horned variety measuring 2.5 to 4 inches.
6. Elephant Beetle
The massive Elephant beetle found in South and Central Americas and Australia has hairs all over, giving its black body a yellowish appearance. Its length measures 2.75 to 4.75 inches.
7. Long-Horned Beetle
Although the total length of the long-horned beetle rivals the Titan, much of its size comes from its huge mandibles which account for almost half of its 7-inch length. This brown and yellow beetle is seen in the South American rainforests.
8. Atlas Beetle
Another horned beetle is the Atlas, which lives mostly in Indonesia but can be found throughout Asia and can grow up to nearly 3 inches.
9. Pine Sawyer Beetle
Living in coniferous trees of the Southwest and Pacific Northwest United States, the Pine Sawyer is a flying beetle measuring from 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
10. Figeater Beetle
Finishing the list of the world’s largest beetles is the Figeater. This beautiful shiny green beetle grows up to 1.5 inches and populates the areas of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico.
Featured Image from Kalman Nemet/Unsplash
