Titanus giganteus (commonly referred as the titan beetle), provides a case study with potential implications for the wider commercial trade in wild caught invertebrates. Titanus giganteus is the largest bodied beetle in the world, and though there are anecdotal sightings of these creatures across South America, they are rarely reported. Both the rarity and size of these creatures mean they are valued highly by collectors.

In French Guiana, the commercial harvest and the eco-tourism of collectors who pay to trap these insects, is known to be carried out on a small scale by farmers and lodges, who in turn are thought to protect the habitat of these animals from deforestation. However, the extent of the benefits or impacts the trade is having has never been determined.

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Studying titan beetles will make up just one aspect of our wider research on the global invertebrate trade. To more widely improve current knowledge on the collection and trade of insects, we aim to investigate the motivations behind insect collecting and delve into the economics of insect trade online.

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Illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade is already acknowledged as a major threat to global biodiversity. If it is found that some practices in the invertebrate trade are detrimental to wildlife, it will be important to first understand consumer behaviours in order to try and tackle such practices sustainably.

Firstly, based on estimates of similar sized beetles, Titanus giganteus is likely to take many years to reach adulthood. It is therefore more likely that effects of collecting will be more apparent than in animals like butterflies, which tend to have a short generation time.

Secondly, despite being the largest bodied beetle in the world, remarkably little is known about the life history of this organism. Live females are virtually unknown and the larvae of this species have never been encountered. Therefore, the study would provide the opportunity to collect fundamental information on this taxa.

There are three main aims to our research, each with several objectives...​

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1. Investigate the international trade in invertebrates: sustainable ecotourism solution, or threat of extinction?

• Assess the motivations and habits of invertebrate collectors through a series of interviews with invertebrate collectors before we set off on our expedition.

• Develop an understanding of the online trade in invertebrates through structured surveys of online marketplaces.

• Assess stakeholder understanding of the impact of invertebrate trade. We will undertake interviews with key stakeholders across the UK to determine what experts in the fields of wildlife conservation, entomology and other related disciplines think of insect trade and to identify key gaps in current knowledge.

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2. Collect data on the biology and trade of  the titan beetle Titanus gigantius as a case study of a high value species traded internationally.

Working from a lodge in the heart of French Guiana’s rainforests we aim to catch and track the largest beetle in the world and:

• Develop and trial novel tracking methods for the study of invertebrates in dense forest. If successful, this could improve the feasibility of studying invertebrates in dense forest.

• Collect movement patterns of titans (for the first time ever) to gather insights into an individual's range, which could allow a better understanding of the area affected by trapping.

• Additionally, it is hoped that for the first time, live larvae could be found, which would be entomologically important in its own right and may have implications to future management or captive breeding initiatives.

3. Use the expedition to highlight the risks and benefits of the invertebrate trade.

• Production of a film on the expedition.

• Outreach through visits to schools and youth groups.

• Engagement with NGOs, research institutes and government organisations.

• Publication of scientific findings.

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