Can any one tell me when the Beetle collecting "Season" is in Cameroon and Tanzania I have had one person that it is finishing now and another person has told me it is about to start in a couple of weeks?? Can anyone clarify this for me.
Cheers.........................Scotsman

I think it depends on what species you are after, Goliath's are different I think, some spring, some autumn, so others may be also.
but if your dealing with local dealers do not pay up front for anything !

Hi XYZ,
Thanks for the reply, interesting to know that the season can be variable. I contacted friends in Africa (South) to see if they could throw any light on the matter but haven't had a reply as yet.
Cheers........................Scotsman

Hi,

The rainy season should be starting now or very soon in Tanzania, so adult G. albosignatus and G. orientalis will be active. The wet season in Tanzania is roughly from November through April (though sometimes starts in October). The situation in equatorial west Africa (Ghana, for example) is the reverse - with the main wet season being roughly from May through October.

Of course, just being there at the right time of year is not enough to ensure collecting success - Goliathus can often be very difficult to find, and during their resting hours the adults tend to gather only on particular species of trees - e.g. Marula (Sclerocarya birrea). The adults are primarily crepuscular in habit, and appear to be most active at dusk. An acquaintance of mine who went collecting in Cameroon some years ago told me that he collected Goliathus goliatus in the early morning when the beetles were in a torpid state, resting on the trunks of certain saplings.

CC

Hi Goliathus,
Thanks for the reply, that certainly clears up the confusing information I was given. In fact both the people that I spoke with were indeed correct in what they told me, as one came from East Africa and the other West Africa. I checked out your website and was very impressed!!!! Great site.
Cheers.................................Scotsman