larvae inside. Some larvae can survive even in

these circumstances, but their development is

greatly slowed down by the lack of nutrient

content. In an extreme example, larvae of the

North American jewel beetle Buprestis aurulenta,

which typically last two to three years, emerged as

adults from structural timber 25 years after it was

harvested, dried, and processed!

On the opposite end of the decay spectrum,

compost also consists mainly of rotting plant

matter, but is very damp and filled with diverse

communities of fungi, microbes, and

invertebrates. This rich resource supports the

largest known beetle larvae, the giant white

grubs of some rhinoceros beetles, such as the

South and Central American genera Dynastes

and Megasoma (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae).

Many other scarabaeoid larvae develop in

very moist and nutrient-rich decaying

vegetation, from stag beetles in wet decayed

subterranean wood to dung beetles—since dung

is just dead vegetation that has passed through the

gut of a vertebrate.

Based on comparison of related species, it is

thought that the still-undiscovered larva of the

biggest beetle of all, the South American Giant

Longhorn Titanus giganteus (Cerambycidae), feeds

on the decaying dead roots of giant trees under

the soil, deep in the Amazonian jungles. It has still

never been seen by scientists.

above | Priacma serrata (Cupedidae)

From the USA, this beetle develops

in dead wood. It is among the few

living representatives of the ancient

Archostemata.

below | Megasoma actaeon (Scarabaeidae)

The heaviest known beetle, weighing

in at over 7 ounces (200 grams), is the

compost-feeding larva of a Central

American rhinoceros beetle.