Dung-beetle
Guides
Sphaeridium lunatum
Crescent Water Scavenger Beetle
Sphaeridium lunatum is a small water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae, commonly known as the Crescent Water Scavenger Beetle. The species is native to the Palearctic region, with established introduced populations in North America. It inhabits moist organic substrates, particularly dung and decaying plant matter. The specific epithet 'lunatum' refers to the crescent-shaped markings on the elytra.
Sphaeridium marginatum
Sphaeridium marginatum is a species of water scavenger beetle in the family Hydrophilidae, first described by Fabricius in 1787. It belongs to the subfamily Sphaeridiinae, a group commonly known as dung beetles within the Hydrophilidae. The species has a broad Palearctic distribution across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia, with introduced populations reported in North America. It is associated with decaying organic matter and moist habitats.
Stenotothorax
Stenotothorax is a genus of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The genus was established by Schmidt in 1914. Some taxonomic authorities treat Stenotothorax as a subgenus within Aphodius. Members of this group are small to medium-sized scarab beetles associated with decomposing organic matter.
Stenotothorax badipes
Stenotothorax badipes is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It occurs across much of eastern and central North America, with records from Canada and the United States. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as small dung beetles or lesser dung beetles.
Stenotothorax cribratulus
Stenotothorax cribratulus is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, originally described by Schmidt in 1917. It is a small dung beetle native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The species belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive body sculpturing. Records indicate it occurs in forested mountainous regions.
Stenotothorax gardneri
Stenotothorax gardneri is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Gordon in 2006. The species is known from a limited number of records in the south-central United States.
Stenotothorax oriens
Stenotothorax oriens is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Gordon and Skelley in 2007. It is a small dung beetle belonging to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly associated with decomposing organic matter. The species is known from limited collection records in the north-central United States.
Stenotothorax parapyriformis
Stenotothorax parapyriformis is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described from specimens collected in the western United States. The species name refers to its pear-like (pyriform) body shape, similar to but distinct from related species. It belongs to a genus of small aphodiine dung beetles.
Stenotothorax sparsus
Stenotothorax sparsus is a small scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, first described by LeConte in 1878. The species is documented from limited localities in western North America, including California, Oregon, and Chihuahua, Mexico. Records remain sparse, with only seven observations documented on iNaturalist. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it likely occupies dung-associated habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Strigodius robinsoni
Strigodius robinsoni is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Cartwright in 1939. The species is known from the eastern United States, with records from Alabama, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Like other members of the genus Strigodius, it is presumably associated with decaying organic matter and dung.
Tesarius
Tesarius is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, established by Rakovič in 1981. The genus contains five described species distributed in the Nearctic and Australian regions. As members of the subfamily Aphodiinae, these beetles are associated with dung and decomposing organic matter. The genus includes species originally described by LeConte, Lea, and Cartwright spanning from 1857 to 1977.
Tesarius mcclayi
Tesarius mcclayi is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is native to North America, with confirmed records from California, USA. The species has been introduced to Great Britain, where it has established a presence. As a member of the subfamily Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as small dung beetles or lesser dung beetles.
Tesarius oregonensis
Tesarius oregonensis is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It was described by Cartwright in 1955. The species is found in western North America, ranging from British Columbia, Canada southward through Oregon to California. As a member of the subfamily Aphodiinae, it is associated with dung and decaying organic matter. Very little specific information has been published regarding its biology or ecology.
Tetraclipeoides acutissimus
Tetraclipeoides acutissimus is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Gordon in 1976. It belongs to a genus of aphodiine dung beetles. Records indicate it occurs in the southwestern United States. As with many aphodiines, it is likely associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Tetraclipeoides anomaliceps
Tetraclipeoides anomaliceps is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Brown in 1929. The species is known from scattered records across the south-central and southwestern United States. As a member of the dung beetle tribe Aphodiini, it is presumed to be associated with decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The genus Tetraclipeoides is small and taxonomically obscure, with limited study beyond original descriptions.
Tetraclipeoides denticulatus
Tetraclipeoides denticulatus is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Haldeman in 1848. It is distributed across the western and central United States and western Canada. The species has been historically confused with bark and ambrosia beetles, as evidenced by its misidentification as "Gnathotrichus denticulatus" in major entomological collections. It belongs to a genus of dung beetles within the diverse Scarabaeidae family.
Tetraclipeoides dentiger
Tetraclipeoides dentiger is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It is found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Like other members of Aphodiinae, it is likely associated with dung or decomposing organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Tetraclipeoides testaceiventris
Tetraclipeoides testaceiventris is a small scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Fall in 1932. It belongs to a genus of aphodiine dung beetles found in North America. The species is known from scattered records across the Great Plains and south-central United States.
Teuchestes
Teuchestes is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, established by Mulsant in 1842. The genus comprises approximately 10 described species distributed across the Palaearctic, Afrotropical, and Oriental regions. Taxonomic placement has been debated, with some sources treating Teuchestes as a subgenus of Aphodius. Species in this genus are dung beetles associated with decomposing organic matter.
Teuchestes fossor
gravedigger dung beetle
Teuchestes fossor is a coprophagous dung beetle native to the Palaearctic region that has become widespread in North America following accidental introduction during European settlement. Both adults and larvae feed on herbivore dung, with adults consuming liquid fractions and larvae consuming fibrous material. The species is readily collected from livestock dung and supports key ecosystem services in cattle systems. It is one of the most frequently observed dung beetles in its range, with over 600 citizen science records.
Trichiorhyssemus
Trichiorhyssemus is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles established by Clouët in 1901. The genus contains more than 20 described species distributed across the Palearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions. Species within this genus are small dung beetles, with at least one species (T. immaturus) showing morphological characters intermediate between Trichiorhyssemus and the related genus Neotrichiorhyssemus.
Trichiorhyssemus riparius
Trichiorhyssemus riparius is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Horn in 1871. It belongs to the tribe Psammodiini, a group commonly associated with sandy habitats. The species is known from the southwestern United States.
Trichonotuloides aphoderrans
Trichonotuloides aphoderrans is a species of aphodiine dung beetle described from Arizona in 2015. The genus Trichonotuloides comprises small to medium-sized scarab beetles associated with decomposing organic matter. This species is distinguished from congeners by specific morphological features of the pronotum and elytra. It is known only from the type locality in the southwestern United States.
Xeropsamobeus acerbus
Xeropsamobeus acerbus is a minute aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, measuring approximately 3 mm in length. It is currently known only from Texas, though its range likely extends into neighboring Louisiana. The species has a documented association with the Texas leafcutter ant (Atta texana).
Xeropsamobeus ambiguus
Xeropsamobeus ambiguus is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It was described by Fall in 1907 and is found in North America. The genus Xeropsamobeus is a small group within the dung beetle subfamily Aphodiinae.
Xeropsamobeus asellus
Xeropsamobeus asellus is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species was described in 1907 and has been recorded from the United States and Mexico, with some sources suggesting it may be endemic to Texas. As a member of the subfamily Aphodiinae, it belongs to a group commonly known as lesser dung beetles. Very few observations of this species have been documented.
Xeropsamobeus desertus
Xeropsamobeus desertus is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in desert regions of southwestern North America and northwestern Mexico. The species was described by Van Dyke in 1918.