Goliath Beetle

Goliathus goliatus (Linnaeus, 1771) belongs to Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae. Goliathus orientalis is recognized as a separate species. [1][2]

The Cameroon museum male has a cream thorax crossed by dark longitudinal stripes, reddish-brown wing covers and dark legs. A forked projection extends from its head. Its exposed flight wings are translucent brown. [5]

Wing-cover colour ranges from brown or reddish black to predominantly white with dark patches. The white form called quadrimaculatus occurs alongside brown individuals in parts of Benin, eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. It is a colour form of Goliathus goliatus. [1][3]

The species occurs in West and Central Africa. The Nigerian population studied from 1996 to 2021 occupied hilly evergreen forest in northern Cross River State, near the Cameroon border, at elevations of 500–1, 000 metres. [3]

Historical Cameroon observations found larvae in trunks of Albizia, Uapaca guineensis and Terminalia superba. [1]

Adults observed in Cameroon nibbled pollen on Vernonia conferta. [1]

The white scales contain hollow cylindrical structures that strongly reflect visible light. Optical measurements also found enhanced infrared emission from the scaled wing-cover surface. Together, these properties lowered the measured surface temperature under illumination. [4]

Linnaeus described the species as Scarabaeus goliatus in 1771. The original locality was the Gabon River opposite Prince’s Island. [1]

In the northern Cross River State survey, white individuals fell from 17.7% of observations in 1996–2004 to 6.4% in 2014–2021. Total observations also declined. The authors identified selective collecting as a probable contributor to this local trend. [3]

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.