In January 2019, two ecologists, Eleanor and Laura, attempted to become the first researchers to study the behaviour of the titan beetle in the rainforests of French Guiana. The titan beetle (Titanus giganteus) is the largest-bodied beetle in the world and is highly valued in the insect trade.

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Despite being worth a lot of money, little is known of the beetle's natural history. Its larvae have never been found and males are much more commonly caught than females. As they are collected and often sold for commercial gain, learning about the behaviour and abundance of titans will help advise conservation action and legislation that could mitigate potential effects which collecting might have on their population.

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This research expedition aimed to catch titans during light-trapping and later release the beetles with a radio-tracking tag affixed to the thorax. This tag sends out a signal that allowed the researchers to find the individuals at periodic times post-release. A separate behavioral experiment was also conducted before release to allow observations of the beetles' activities at different times of the day.

 

Advice was offered in country by Frederic from Societe Entomologique Antilles Guyane, with their work shown in this film.

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This film was filmed and edited by Chris Guggiari-Peel

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