Approximately 65–70 mm long.
Fine-art photographic collection
Hoplideres aquilus
A giant Madagascan longhorn approaching seven centimetres before its extraordinary antennae are even counted.
About this species
Hoplideres aquilusCoquerel, 1859
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Hoplideres aquilus is a very large longhorn beetle endemic to Madagascar. Specimens reach roughly 65–70 millimetres in body length, with antennae extending the silhouette still farther.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Coleoptera · Cerambycidae · Hoplideres
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
MadagascarBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Madagascar
Malagasy forest containing mature and decaying trees.
Adults are active in warm conditions, often at dusk or night.
Larvae develop as wood-borers; adult feeding is limited.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
At roughly 65–70 millimetres, the body alone rivals the length of many small vertebrates before the antennae are included.
Coquerel described the species in 1859 from Madagascar, and it remains restricted to the island’s distinctive longhorn fauna.
The enormous antennae are sensory arrays used to locate mates and suitable wood, extending far beyond the already massive body.