Titanus Giganteus

Hey there! I'm tickled pink that you could find time to scurry by today. Pour yourself a delectably refreshing mug of coffee and grab a virtual treat before they disappear, eh. Say... how do you feel about bugs? What would your reaction be if one morning you awoke to find one of these pictured bugs sitting on your chest? Probably scare the bejeesus out of me anyway...don't know about you!

As its name suggests, the Titanus giganteus, or Titan Beetle, is a giant of the insect world. Adults can grow up to 6.5 inches (16.7 cm) long and have incredibly strong jaws that can snap wooden pencils in half, so just imagine what they could do to your fingers. Luckily, these scary-looking bugs are quite harmless to humans.

The Titan beetle is one of the most mysterious creatures on Earth. It lives unobtrusively deep in some of the South America’s  hottest tropical rain forests and only ventures out when seeking out mates. The larvae of this amazing insect have never been found, but judging by the large boreholes found in dead trees in their natural habitat, scientists believe Titan beetle grubs feed on decaying wood below ground for several years before reaching maturity. The size of these holes suggests the grubs are around two inches in diameter and up to a foot long. 

Just like the Atlas Moth, the Titan beetle doesn’t feed during its adult life cycle, using the reserves gathered in its pupa stage to fly around long enough to find a mate. Because they mostly sit around waiting for males to seek them out and fertilize their eggs, females have rarely been spotted.

It's funny how the weird mind works, isn't it? Because these bugs only ventures out when seeking out mates, I wonder if there are singles bars for giant beetles? Lady beetles sitting around all day clicking to each other (or whatever it is beetles do to communicate). "Eh, Señor Beetle, you like to buy a lonely lady beetle a drink?"

See ya, eh!

Bob