Oscarinus crassuloides
(Fall, 1907)
Oscarinus crassuloides is a in the , described by Fall in 1907. The belongs to the , a group commonly associated with decomposition. It occurs in the southwestern United States and central Mexico. Like other members of its , it likely contributes to through dung burial activities.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Oscarinus crassuloides: /ɒˈskæɹɪnəs kræsʊˈlɔɪdiːz/
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Habitat
Associated with cattle in agricultural settings; has been observed in pasture environments where livestock are present.
Distribution
Nearctic: Arizona and New Mexico, USA. Neotropical: Chihuahua, Hidalgo, Michoacán, and Querétaro states in Mexico.
Diet
-feeding; consumes .
Host Associations
- cattle - utilizes Associated with livestock pastures; serves as food source and breeding substrate.
Behavior
Engages in burial, mixing into soil. This activity reduces methane emissions, recycles nutrients, and suppresses pest by removing breeding substrate.
Ecological Role
engineer in pasture systems; nutrient cycler and methane reducer through incorporation into soil. Competitively excludes pest from dung resources.
Human Relevance
in cattle . Vulnerable to cattle parasiticides (used against , , , and ) that persist in and cause mortality. of this supports sustainable agriculture by maintaining natural dung removal services.
Similar Taxa
- Oscarinus rusicolaCongeneric with similar and distribution; both are in the same associated with cattle in North pasture systems.
More Details
Taxonomic note
The epithet 'crassuloides' refers to resemblance to the Crassus (now synonymized within Aphodius or related genera), indicating historical taxonomic placement based on morphological similarity.
Conservation concern
Agricultural chemical use poses documented threat. Farmers can minimize nontarget impacts by selecting parasiticides with shorter environmental persistence or timing applications to avoid peak activity periods.