Goliath Beetle vs Sand-Loving Hister Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Goliath Beetle Sand-Loving Hister Beetle
Scientific Name Goliathus goliatus Hypocaccus rugifrons
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Histeridae
Size 60-110 mm 2-4 mm
Habitat Forests Beaches & Coastal
Diet Dung Feeders Predators
Regions Africa Europe, Mediterranean coasts
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Goliath Beetle

One of the heaviest insects on Earth. Males have a Y-shaped horn on the head. Larvae can weigh up to 100 grams and require high-protein food to develop.

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Did You Know?

Goliath beetle larvae can weigh up to 100 grams — about the same as a bar of soap — making them among the heaviest insect larvae known.

Sand-Loving Hister Beetle

A small, reddish-brown hister beetle found in sandy coastal habitats. It hunts fly larvae in seaweed wrack and stranded carrion.

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Did You Know?

It buries itself in sand beneath rotting kelp during the day and emerges at night to hunt fly larvae in the wrack.