Dichotomius

Hope, 1838

Species Guides

Dichotomius carolinus(Carolina copris)
Dichotomius colonicus

Dichotomius is a of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) established by Hope in 1838. in the genus are medium-sized to large dung beetles, with members of the depressicollis species group measuring 17.4–27.3 mm. The genus belongs to the tribe Dichotomiini and is distributed across the Neotropical and Nearctic regions.

Dichotomius by (c) Natural History Museum: Coleoptera Section, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Dichotomius colonicus by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Dichotomius carolinus by (c) Raven Dandridge, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Raven Dandridge. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Dichotomius: //daɪˈkɒtəmiəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Members of the depressicollis group can be identified by a distinctive pronotal excavation, a bidentate process, and characteristic male genitalia featuring a subgenital plate and subtriangular parameres. These morphological traits, combined with body size range of 17.4–27.3 mm, distinguish the group from other Dichotomius species.

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Distribution

Neotropical and Nearctic regions. Documented from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. Specific localities include Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete (PNNSCh) in Colombia and Tinigua, Nukak.

More Details

Species diversity

The depressicollis group contains eight species following the 2025 revision: D. audinoae, D. barberoi, D. davidedmondsi, D. depressicollis, D. inca, D. melzeri, D. salomaoi, and D. zikani. Five of these were described as new species in 2025.