The Actaeon beetle is a member of the family of scarab beetles. It is one of the heaviest beetles, with the largest specimen recorded at 228 grams (8.04 oz) in 2009, in the northern parts of South America closely equalling a female rat.
Size: 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in)
Color: They are shiny or matte black.
Other Characteristic Features: These beetles have strong legs with tarsal claws. Males have two short, forward-pointing “horn-like” appendages on their pronotum and a larger one with a small-sized tooth on their heads. The females come without horns, also having rough and wrinkled, elytra and pronotum.
Larvae reach up to 200g in their 3rd instar, the heaviest amongst all insects.
After maturing, the larvae begin to pupate.
Females lay their eggs a few centimeters underneath the soil, which takes around 9 months to hatch.
| Lifespan | Around 3 months |
| Distribution | Mexico and countries in South America including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela |
| Habitat | Tropical climates |
| Seasons active | Not recorded |
| Host plants | Not recorded, |
| Diet of adults | Fruit like bananas |
No identifiable damage is caused by them.
Image source: live.staticflickr.com, i.pinimg.com, arachnoboards.com, greenpacks.org, scontent.fccu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net
The Actaeon beetle is a member of the family of scarab beetles. It is one of the heaviest beetles, with the largest specimen recorded at 228 grams (8.04 oz) in 2009, in the northern parts of South America closely equalling a female rat.
Size: 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in)
Color: They are shiny or matte black.
Other Characteristic Features: These beetles have strong legs with tarsal claws. Males have two short, forward-pointing “horn-like” appendages on their pronotum and a larger one with a small-sized tooth on their heads. The females come without horns, also having rough and wrinkled, elytra and pronotum.
Larvae reach up to 200g in their 3rd instar, the heaviest amongst all insects.
After maturing, the larvae begin to pupate.
Females lay their eggs a few centimeters underneath the soil, which takes around 9 months to hatch.
| Lifespan | Around 3 months |
| Distribution | Mexico and countries in South America including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela |
| Habitat | Tropical climates |
| Seasons active | Not recorded |
| Host plants | Not recorded, |
| Diet of adults | Fruit like bananas |
No identifiable damage is caused by them.
Image source: live.staticflickr.com, i.pinimg.com, arachnoboards.com, greenpacks.org, scontent.fccu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net
