Dung-beetle
Guides
Ateuchus texanus
Ateuchus texanus is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Robinson in 1948. It belongs to a genus known for dung-rolling and tunneling behaviors. The species occurs in parts of the southern United States and Mexico.
Australaphodius frenchi
Australaphodius frenchi is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species exhibits an exceptionally broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents, including Australia, Africa, North America, Central America, and South America. This wide range is unusual for aphodiine beetles and suggests either natural dispersal capabilities or human-mediated introduction. The species was described by Blackburn in 1892 from Australian material.
Ballucus
Ballucus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was established in 2007 by Gordon and Skelley. The genus belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles. Ballucus is currently classified within the Nearctic region, though specific details about its constituent species and biology remain limited in published literature.
Ballucus barri
Ballucus barri is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Gordon in 2006. The species belongs to the genus Ballucus, which comprises small dung beetles. Records indicate it occurs in the western United States.
Ballucus obtusus
Ballucus obtusus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It is native to western North America, with documented occurrences in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as small dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles, which are typically associated with decomposing organic matter.
Bolbocerastes imperialis kansanus
Bolbocerastes imperialis kansanus is a subspecies of earth-boring dung beetle in the family Geotrupidae. Described by Cartwright in 1953, this subspecies is part of a group of beetles specialized for burrowing into soil. The genus Bolbocerastes contains species found in North America. As a member of the Bolboceratinae, this beetle likely exhibits the subfamily's characteristic adaptations for digging and subterranean life, though specific details for this subspecies remain poorly documented.
Boreocanthon
Boreocanthon is a genus of ball-rolling dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, comprising thirteen recognized species. The genus is endemic to North America, with a distribution spanning from southern Canada to central Mexico. Species exhibit strong ecological associations with specific vegetation biomes, including eastern coniferous forests, prairies, arid shrublands, and desert habitats.
Boreocanthon depressipennis
A small dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, recorded from sand dune habitats in eastern New Mexico. Observed rolling rodent scats, suggesting a role in processing small mammal waste in arid environments. The genus Boreocanthon comprises dung beetles with distributions centered in western North America.
Boreocanthon ebenus
Boreocanthon ebenus is a small dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, tribe Canthonini. The species has been observed in sand dune habitats in eastern New Mexico, where individuals were seen rolling small rodent scats. It belongs to a genus of dung beetles primarily distributed in North America.
Boreocanthon melanus
Boreocanthon melanus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Robinson in 1948. The genus Boreocanthon comprises small dung beetles primarily distributed in North America. This species has been observed in sand dune habitats in eastern New Mexico, where individuals were seen rolling small rodent scats.
Boreocanthon praticola
Boreocanthon praticola is a small dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. Its distribution spans the Great Plains from southern Canada to Texas, extending into the American Southwest and northwestern Mexico. The species exhibits a strong ecological association with prairie dog colonies, where it feeds primarily on prairie dog dung pellets. It has been documented in the fossil record from the La Brea tar pits in California, indicating a broader historical range.
Boreocanthon probus
A small dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, observed rolling rodent scats in sand dune habitat. The genus Boreocanthon comprises diminutive scarabs associated with small mammal droppings. This species has been documented in the southwestern United States.
Boreocanthon puncticollis
A small dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Scarabaeinae. The genus Boreocanthon comprises species primarily distributed in western North America. The specific epithet 'puncticollis' refers to punctation on the pronotum. This species has been observed in sand dune habitats in eastern New Mexico, where individuals were seen rolling small rodent scats.
Boreocanthon simplex
Boreocanthon simplex is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, native to western North America. It exhibits exceptional morphological and color variation compared to congeners, leading to speculation that it may represent multiple cryptic species. The species demonstrates remarkable ecological versatility, occurring across diverse habitats and elevations from below 300 m to above 3,000 m. Its remains have been recovered from the La Brea tar pits, indicating a long presence in the region.
Calamosternus
Calamosternus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, established by Motschulsky in 1859. The genus contains more than 20 described species and is classified within the subfamily Aphodiinae (dung beetles). Taxonomic treatment varies: some authorities recognize Calamosternus as a distinct genus, while NCBI Taxonomy treats it as a subgenus of Aphodius. The genus has a Palaearctic distribution with some records from North America.
Caligodorus vandykei
Caligodorus vandykei is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The species was described by Barret in 1931 and is known from California, USA. It belongs to a genus of small to medium-sized aphodiine scarabs associated with dung and decomposing organic matter.
Canthidium
Canthidium is a genus of small dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, containing at least 170 described species. Species in this genus are primarily neotropical and exhibit a characteristic "sit and wait" foraging strategy, perching on leaves to detect dung through chemoreception. They are classified as tunnelers, constructing burrows beneath dung deposits. Their small body size (often under 10 mm) influences their foraging ecology and resource partitioning strategies within diverse dung beetle communities.
Canthidium macclevei
Canthidium macclevei is a small dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Kohlmann and Solis in 2006. The genus Canthidium comprises small-bodied tunnelers, with most species measuring under 10 mm. Members of this genus are known to employ "sit and wait" perching behavior as a foraging strategy.
Canthon
tumblebugs, dung rollers
Canthon is a genus of ball-rolling dung beetles (telocoprids) commonly known as tumblebugs, distributed across the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Adults are known for their distinctive behavior of forming dung balls and rolling them away from source material for feeding or nesting. The genus exhibits notable behavioral diversity, with some species employing 'sit and wait' perching strategies to detect dung through chemoreception, while others actively follow animals. Several species show color polymorphism that may be linked to thermal adaptation and elevational distribution.
Canthon blumei
Canthon blumei is a dung beetle species in the tribe Canthonini, described by Halffter & Halffter in 2003. It is known from Texas, USA, within the Nearctic region. As a member of the genus Canthon, it belongs to a group of beetles commonly referred to as "tumblebugs" for their behavior of rolling dung into balls.
Canthon chalcites
Coppery Dung Beetle
Canthon chalcites, commonly known as the Coppery Dung Beetle, is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is a roller-type dung beetle native to North America, with a broad distribution across eastern and central United States and southern Canada. The species is part of the diverse Canthon genus, which includes many small to medium-sized dung beetles that exhibit ball-rolling behavior.
Canthon cyanellus
Dung beetle
Canthon cyanellus is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by LeConte in 1859. The species belongs to the genus Canthon, a group of dung beetles commonly known as "tumblebugs" for their behavior of rolling dung into balls. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the southern United States through Mexico and Central America into northern South America. The species has been recorded from Texas in the Nearctic realm and from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil in the Neotropical realm.
Canthon floridanus
Canthon floridanus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Brown in 1946. It is native to the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, occurring in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Like other members of the genus Canthon, it is a dung-rolling beetle that constructs brood balls from fecal material.
Canthon humectus
Canthon humectus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, originally described by Thomas Say in 1832 as Ateuchus humectus. The species belongs to the genus Canthon, commonly known as tumblebugs, which are characterized by their habit of rolling dung into balls. It is recognized as having eight subspecies, including the nominate subspecies Canthon humectus humectus. The species has been reported from North America and Oceania, with confirmed presence in Hawaii.
Canthon imitator
tumblebug
Canthon imitator is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Brown in 1946. The species belongs to the genus Canthon, a group commonly known as tumblebugs for their behavior of rolling dung into balls. Like other Canthon species, C. imitator navigates using celestial objects. The species occurs in both Nearctic and Neotropical regions, with records from the southwestern United States and multiple Mexican states.
Canthon indigaceus
Canthon indigaceus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by LeConte in 1866. It belongs to the tribe Canthonini, a group of dung beetles recognized as a relict of the ancient supercontinent Gondwanaland. The species is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with no immediate threats to its survival identified. Three subspecies are recognized: C. i. chevrolati, C. i. chiapas, and C. i. indigaceus.
Canthon pilularius
common tumblebug, Eastern Tumblebug
Canthon pilularius is a ball-rolling (telocoprid) dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as the common tumblebug or Eastern Tumblebug. It is one of five North American species in the pilularius species group. Adults are known for their distinctive behavior of forming dung balls and rolling them away from deposition sites for burial and larval development.
Canthon vigilans
vigilant dung beetle, Vigilant Tumblebug
Canthon vigilans, commonly known as the vigilant dung beetle or Vigilant Tumblebug, is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is a member of the tribe Canthonini, which includes roller dung beetles. The species is found across much of North America, from southern Canada through the eastern and central United States. As a tumblebug, it exhibits the characteristic behavior of forming dung balls and rolling them away for burial and larval provisioning.
Canthon viridis
Canthon viridis is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It belongs to the genus Canthon, commonly known as tumblebugs for their behavior of rolling dung into balls. The species is native to North America and has been documented across a broad geographic range including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with dung decomposition and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.
Cephalocyclus
Cephalocyclus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The genus was established in 1998 and is known from the Mexican Transition zone within the Neotropical region. As an aphodiine dung beetle genus, its members likely participate in dung decomposition processes, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Ceratophyus
earth-boring scarab beetles
Ceratophyus is a genus of earth-boring scarab beetles comprising approximately 13 described species. These beetles are known for constructing underground brood chambers using dung, with documented cooperative nest-building behavior between males and females in at least one species. The genus occurs across the Palaearctic region, with species documented in Russia, China, and Mongolia. Some species possess horns used in intraspecific combat.
Cercyon nigriceps
Cercyon nigriceps is a water scavenger beetle (family Hydrophilidae) with a cosmopolitan distribution spanning the Palearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical, Oriental, and Neotropical regions. Adults are frequently found in mammalian dung and rotting plant material. The species has a complex taxonomic history with numerous synonyms due to its wide geographic range and identification challenges.
Chilothorax
Chilothorax is a genus of scarab beetles established by Motschulsky in 1859. The genus contains more than 60 described species distributed across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Many species were transferred from the formerly broader genus Aphodius, reflecting taxonomic revisions in the Aphodiinae. The genus belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles.
Chilothorax distinctus
Chilothorax distinctus is a small dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It is native to the Palaearctic region and has been introduced to North America, where it has established populations across the United States and Canada. Like other aphodiine scarabs, it is associated with dung and decaying organic matter.
Cinacanthus coquilletti
Cinacanthus coquilletti is a small dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It occurs in the southwestern United States, specifically in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The species was described by Linell in 1896 and belongs to a genus of aphodiine scarabs.
Cinacanthus hirsutus
Cinacanthus hirsutus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Brown in 1928. The species is known from the Nearctic region, with records from western North America including British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it is presumed to be associated with dung decomposition, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Cinacanthus militaris
Cinacanthus militaris is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It occurs in western North America, with records from California, Nevada, Oregon in the United States, and Baja California in Mexico. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it is part of a group commonly known as small dung beetles or aphodiine dung beetles. The species was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1858.
Cinacanthus ulkei
Cinacanthus ulkei is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Robert Gordon in 2006. The species is known from the central United States, with confirmed records from Colorado and Nebraska. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as dung beetles, though many aphodiines are also associated with decaying plant matter.
Coelotrachelus
Coelotrachelus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was established by Schmidt in 1914. The genus is known from the Neotropical region. As a member of Aphodiinae, it likely consists of dung-associated beetles, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Coelotrachelus rudis
Coelotrachelus rudis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, specifically within the subfamily Aphodiinae. The species was described by LeConte in 1878 and is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It belongs to a genus of dung beetles, though specific ecological details about this particular species remain limited in the available literature.
Coprini
Coprini is a tribe of dung beetles within the scarab subfamily Scarabaeinae, comprising over 900 species across 21 genera. Members are characterized as tunnelers that bury dung in shallow tunnels for nest construction. The tribe exhibits a cosmopolitan distribution with particular diversity in tropical regions. Taxonomic boundaries of Coprini remain provisional, with phylogenetic relationships and generic placements subject to ongoing revision.
Copris arizonensis
Copris arizonensis is a dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Schaeffer in 1906. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other members of the genus Copris, it is associated with dung processing and soil burrowing behaviors typical of scarabaeine dung beetles.
Copris fricator
Frigid Dung Beetle
Copris fricator is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species is known from northeastern North America, with records from Ontario, Québec, and Vermont. It belongs to the genus Copris, a group of dung beetles that typically construct burrows beneath dung deposits and provision them with dung for larval development.
Copris howdeni
Howden's copri
Copris howdeni is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is native to the southeastern United States, with records from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Like other members of the genus Copris, it is likely associated with mammal dung for feeding and larval development. The species was described by Matthews and Halffter in 1959.
Copris inemarginatus
Copris inemarginatus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Blatchley in 1918. As a member of the genus Copris, it belongs to a group of tunneling dung beetles that bury dung for larval provisioning. The species has been documented in Florida, USA. Information regarding its specific ecology, behavior, and detailed morphology remains limited in available sources.
Copris macclevei
Copris macclevei is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Warner in 1990. It belongs to the genus Copris, a group of dung beetles known for their role in nutrient cycling and soil aeration through dung burial behaviors. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Copris remotus
Copris remotus is a North American dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species was described by LeConte in 1866. Two subspecies are recognized: Copris remotus remotus (the nominate subspecies) and Copris remotus dicyrtus, described by Matthews and Halffter in 1959. As a member of the genus Copris, it belongs to a group of dung beetles that provision burrows with dung for larval development.
Cryptopleurum minutum
Cryptopleurum minutum is a minute water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae, subfamily Sphaeridiinae. First described by Fabricius in 1775, this species is native to the Palearctic region but has been introduced to North America. The species is associated with wet, decaying organic matter and dung habitats typical of sphaeridiine hydrophilids.
Cryptoscatomaseter
Cryptoscatomaseter is a genus of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Gordon and Skelley in 2007 and is known from the Neotropical region. Members of this genus are small to medium-sized scarab beetles associated with dung decomposition. The genus is part of the diverse Aphodiini tribe, which contains many species that feed on animal feces.
Cryptoscatomaseter brevicollis
Cryptoscatomaseter brevicollis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The species was described by LeConte in 1878. It belongs to a genus of dung beetles typically associated with mammal dung decomposition. The specific epithet 'brevicollis' refers to the short-necked condition of the pronotum.