Fossils of insects resembling dragonflies have been found. The insects who died long ago had enormous wingspans, some as large as 2. They also had huge jaws and were probably vicious predators. Thankfully, these griffinflies, as they are called, went extinct a long time ago. Today, insects don't grow anywhere near that size, but the specimen we'd like to introduce you to is the titan beetle — the largest beetle in the world!
The titan beetle is a giant in the insect world. The titan beetle is a member of the Cerambycidae family, or longhorn beetles. Although it has been mistaken for a cockroach, it isn't a common insect like the cockroach. In fact, the titan beetle is the sole species in the genus Titanus and its Latin name is Titanus giganteus.
The largest recorded Titanus giganteus to date measured 6. Titan beetles have strong mandibles that can snap wooden pencils in half and sharp claws on their legs to protect them from predators. And they hiss to warn off aggressors that are foolish enough to come too close. Titan beetles live in tropical rain forests in South America, so you are unlikely to see one dashing across your North American kitchen countertop.
Despite their size and elusiveness, though, the titan beetle has a great many secrets. This beetle lives in some of the Amazon's hottest and most inaccessible tropical rain forests and only ventures out into the open when seeking a mate. The larvae of this mysterious insect have never been found. Scientists believe the titan beetle grub feeds on decaying wood below ground until it reaches maturity. At that point, it bores out of the dead tree where it's been feeding.
The large boreholes the grubs leave behind have led scientists to estimate that the titan beetle grubs are approximately two inches 5 centimeters in diameter and up to a foot 30 centimeters in length. These huge bugs hiss when threatened to warn off an attacker. If this fails, the titan beetle will defend itself with strong legs equipped with sharp claws that can tear through flesh, as well as using those lethal mandibles.
Titans beetles have never been known to attack unprovoked, but they must be handled with care. Their sharp claws and strong jaws can do serious damage to human hands and fingers.
Titan larvae are thought to feed on decaying wood below the ground and then spend just a few weeks as adults. An adult titan beetle who spent its adult life in captivity at Oxford University was active but did not eat any of the fruit or sugar water provided to him.
It's suspected that, like some other insects such as the atlas moth and the black soldier fly, the titan beetle only eats as a larvae. When the weather is hot and humid, the male titan beetle flies around in search of a female. The female titan beetle attracts a mate by giving off pheromones, which are airborne chemical attractants. All beetles, including the titan beetle, reproduce sexually. Offspring are created by the joining of sperm from the father and eggs from the mother.
Adult beetles have modified wings: the first pair of wings is small and very hard, and acts as a protective covering for the second pair of wings. Many beetles can fly with their second pair of wings. Most adult beetles are brown or black, but some are very brightly colored. Beetle larvae look sort of like worms, but they have six legs and a hard head. Beetle pupa can't move and are covered with a leathery skin.
Beetles are the most diverse group of insects. There are over , species known to science, and probably many tens of thousands more still unknown. Beetles are found on land and in fresh water all over the world. Beetles are found in just about every habitat. Most species live on plants, others tunnel or burrow, some swim. Beetles have four different stages in their life cycle. Adult female beetles mate and lay eggs.
The eggs hatch into a larval stage that is wingless. The larva feed and grow, and eventually change into a pupal stage. The pupa does not move or feed. Eventually the pupa transforms into an adult beetle. Female beetles usually lay dozens or hundreds of eggs. Reproduction is often timed to match the time of most available food.
Adult beetles mate, and the female lays eggs on or very near a food source for her larvae. Some beetles collect a supply of food for their larvae, and lay the egg in the ball of food. Some scavenger beetles even feed their babies.
Most beetle species complete their lives in a single year. Some, especially larger ones, live for more than a year, hatching in summer, a few months to a year or more as a larva and pupa, and then emerging to reproduce as an adult. Most beetles are active at night, but some are active in daylight especially if they have chemical defense. Often they time their growth and reproduction so all the adults emerge at once, and for a short time you can find lots of a particular species.
Most beetles communicate with other beetles with chemicals. Males often locate females by their scent. Beetles usually can't see very well. It has been mistakenly classified as a giant cockroach by some people, but it is a pure beetle, with a genus of its own, Titanus. Adults grow as long as This huge beetle is the longest known beetle in the Amazon rainforest and is found in French Guiana, north Brazil and Columbia. The beetle is only found in the hot, humid regions around the tropics, very near to the equator.
The larvae of these beetles feed on dead wood, below the surface of the ground. They look weird, resembling sections of vacuum cleaner hose and are also big. Because titan beetle larvae feed on large chunks of wood, they need to live in regions where there is plenty of hard, indigenous wood from huge trees available.
The shrinking population of these beetles, is mainly due to habitat destruction from the timber industry. As is the case with the large atlas moth , the titan beetle does not feed in its adult phase, it simply flies around long enough to find a mate and reproduce. The pupae have apparently never been found.
It is likely that they reach maturity inside roots and branches underground.
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