Coleopterist, Dr. R.E. Woodruff and his assistant Brenda Beck narrowed the list of candidates. Results The African goliath beetle, Goliathus goliatus, in the family Scarabaeidae, is the heaviest insect in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that the heaviest insect is found in the rain forests of Africa. When it comes to the weight of an insect, the beetles are some of the heaviest. When entomologists describe an insect the weight is normally not included in the description.
Most descriptions measure size in terms of length or wingspan.
Thus, weights of individual insects are lacking in primary literature and need to be addressed by future entomologists. This makes Goliathus goliatus the heaviest insect in the world. An inordinate fondness for beetles. The Natural History Museum book of insects. Copyright 1998 Thomas E. Powell.