Pasture-improvement
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Digitonthophagus gazella
Gazelle scarab, Brown dung beetle
Digitonthophagus gazella is a dung beetle native to Afro-Asian regions that has been widely introduced across the Americas, Australia, and Pacific islands for biological control of cattle dung. The species exhibits rapid colonization ability due to high reproductive rates, opportunistic resource utilization, and strong dispersal capacity. It has become established in numerous tropical and subtropical regions, with documented naturalized populations in North, Central, and South America. The species shows complex nesting behavior involving tunnel construction by both sexes and has been extensively studied for its ecological impacts on native dung beetle assemblages.