Pasture-habitats
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Aphodius
dung beetles
Aphodius is a genus of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The genus was established by Hellwig in 1798, with Scarabaeus fimetarius Linnaeus, 1758 designated as the type species by Latreille in 1810. Species in this genus typically dominate dung beetle communities in north temperate ecosystems and are classified as endocoprids (dwellers), with larvae living and feeding within dung pats. Most species are coprophagous, though some have herbivorous or saprophagous larvae. The genus currently includes 44 recognized species, of which 21 are extinct.