10 largest beetles in the world

With more than 350,000 known species of beetles on the planet and more being discovered all the time, narrowing down the largest can be tricky.

Beetles are one of the most diverse species of insects, due in part to their resilience and the fact that they almost never die out. Surprisingly, the largest known subgroup of beetles, Polyphaga, has never had a single family of species that has become extinct throughout its evolutionary history!

Let’s explore the world’s 10 largest beetle species, their many unique characteristics and habitats.

10. Satin beetle (Halkosome Atlas)

Named after the Greek titan Atlas, it makes sense that the Atlas beetle is on this list. Atlas beetles are another giant member of the Scarabaeidae family, known for their three long, curved horns in males. These horns, as you can imagine, are used to compete with other males for food, territory, and mating rights.

Atlas beetles are very sexually dimorphic, males are much larger than females. While male Atlas beetles can grow up to 4.7 inches long, females are usually only about 2 inches long. They are distributed over most of Southeast Asia.

These powerful beetles are ferocious from birth, and their massive larvae are especially vicious and vie with each other. Usually they will fight to the death when food runs out!

9. Caucasian beetle (Chalcosoma Chiron)

These enormous scarab beetles are known for their uniquely curved three-toothed horns that form a W-shape protruding from their cephalothorax. Males usually use these horns to compete with each other for mates and food. There are four subspecies of the Caucasian beetle, most of which are found throughout Malaysia and Indonesia.

Caucasian beetles are the largest representatives Chalcosoma genus and are one of the largest species of beetles in all of Asia, males usually reach lengths of 3.5 to 5 inches or more. Females have a smaller side, usually reaching 2 to 2.5 inches in length.

8. Beetle-stag-giraffe (Prosopocoilus giraffe)

The stag beetle is the largest member of the stag beetle family in the world, usually reaching 12 centimeters or 4.7 inches in length. There are eight unique subspecies Prospokoilsky giraffe, most of which are found in the humid forests of Asia in countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and even India.

These formidable beetles have distinct-looking mandibles with jagged teeth. These jaws occupy about half of the insect’s entire body length! Like many of the other species on this list, the males of this species have much larger jaws, which they use as horns to pick up and toss each other when competing for food and mates.

7. Beetle-actaeon (Megasoma actaeon)

The Actaeon beetle is another large species of rhinoceros beetle and one of the heaviest insects in the world. While their larvae are usually much heavier at around 240 grams (almost 8.5 ounces!), Adults of this species are still a force to be reckoned with, usually weighing around 150 grams (5.5 ounces).

In terms of body length, Actaeon beetles also top the tables – from 2 to 5 inches. Males are much longer than females, their long horn-like projections are up to a quarter of their body length. Females do not have these horns, and instead they have small pincer jaws.

The name of the beetle Actaeon comes from Actaeon himself, the hero of Greek mythology, who was taught by the centaur Chiron, who was also famous for teaching Achilles!

6. Wallace’s long-horned beetle (Batocera wallacei)

Although the body of Wallace’s long-horned beetle is not particularly large or bulky, it is still the longest beetle species in the world!

These unique beetles are native to New Guinea, Indonesia and parts of Australia and can grow to an incredible 10.5 inches in length. Much of their length is attributed to their massive antennae, which are usually more than twice the length of the insect’s body.

The species was named after Alfred Russell Wallace in 1858. Wallace was a British researcher and biologist who discovered the beetle in the Aru Islands in Indonesia.

5. Elephant beetle (Megasome elephants)

The elephant beetle is another member of the Dynastidae subfamily, which makes up a group of insects known as rhinoceros beetles. Although more than 1,500 unique species of rhinoceros beetles are known to exist, the elephant beetle is one of the largest! They usually grow from 2.5 to 4.75 inches in length, with males significantly larger than females.

Elephant beetles are so named because of the long, powerful, trunk-like horns of males, which are used to fight other males when fighting for food or males. Females do not have these horns and instead have smaller jaws that they use to bite on fruits and tree bark.

Although elephant beetles are usually solid brown or black in color, their bodies are covered with very fine yellow hairs that give them a golden hue. There are especially many hairs on the elytra or front wings of beetles.

4. European beetle (Lucan deer)

Although there are over 1200 species of stag beetle, perhaps the most famous of these is the European stag beetle, both for its size and for its prominent pincer-shaped lower jaws. Like most other sexually dimorphic beetle species, males have much larger jaws than females.

The size of the average European stag beetle varies depending on the country in which it lives. Stag beetles from countries such as Germany and Spain tend to be larger than, for example, beetles found in the UK or Belgium. Stag beetles are usually two and a half inches long or more!

Interestingly, while the male jaws look intimidating, they are actually too weak to pinch or bite reliably. Instead, they usually use their jaws as horns when fighting males, especially when competing for a male. Females use their much smaller jaws with greater precision and can deliver a very painful bite!

3. Goliath beetles (Goliath royal, kakik, White, flask, Oriental, and goliathus)

There are six unique goliath beetle species within the genus Goliathus and many other lesser known subspecies. Like many others on this list, these beetles are also highly dimorphic in sex, which means that males and females of this species have many physical differences, most notably size.

Male goliath beetles are usually 4 inches long and females 2 to 3 inches long. As larvae, they can weigh up to 3.5 ounces or 100 grams, but they usually lose some weight as they reach their adult weight.

Although goliath beetles do not have teeth, their lower jaws are very sharp and can bleed quite easily. They are also very strong insects, capable of lifting objects 850 times their size.

2. Hercules beetle (Dynasty of Hercules)

The Hercules beetle is another aptly named insect. It is one of the largest flying insects and the longest-lived beetle species in the world! This powerful beetle is actually a species of rhinoceros beetle, and only males of this species possess the massive horns for which they are known.

Including the length of their characteristic horns on the ribcage, Hercules beetles usually reach 7 inches in length! This horn makes up most of their body length, and without it, their length is only about 3 inches. Only males have this horn, so the females of this species are much smaller and less intimidating.

Despite how scary they look, Hercules beetles mostly feed on both rotting and fresh wood and a variety of fruits. They mainly use their horns as a self-defense mechanism or to fight off competing males, rather than to hunt for prey.

1. Titanium beetle (Titan giant)

The titanium beetle is the largest beetle in the world in terms of body length. It towers above other insects in its natural habitat, often reaching an astounding 6.5 inches in length! It mainly inhabits rainforests in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Ecuador and is the only Titanus species of its kind.

Titan beetles cannot be contacted, as their huge, sharp jaws can easily cut into human skin and even break branches in two. Other powerful defense mechanisms that this incredible insect possesses include their sharp spines and the ability to hiss to ward off predators by pushing air through many tiny holes on the sides of their body known as spiracles.

Interestingly, titan beetles strongly resemble cockroaches, although in fact they are closer to barbel beetles.