Scarabaeidae
Guides
Listrochelus flavipennis
A scarab beetle species in the tribe Rhizotrogini, described by Horn in 1885. Very little published natural history information exists for this species. Distribution records indicate occurrence in Arizona, USA.
Listrochelus juvenilis
Listrochelus juvenilis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae, described by Fall in 1932. It belongs to a genus of beetles commonly known as May beetles or June beetles. The species has a limited documented distribution in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Listrochelus opacicollis
Listrochelus opacicollis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae, described by Horn in 1878. It belongs to the tribe Rhizotrogini, a group commonly known as June beetles or May beetles. The species is known from the southwestern United States.
Listrochelus planeta
Listrochelus tarsalis
Listrochelus tarsalis is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae, described by Schaeffer in 1908. It belongs to the genus Listrochelus, a group of rhizotrogine scarabs. Distribution records indicate occurrence in Arizona, USA. Like other melolonthine scarabs, it likely exhibits a subterranean larval stage and adult emergence patterns typical of the subfamily.
Macrodactylus
rose chafers, American rose chafers
Macrodactylus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as rose chafers or American rose chafers. The genus contains at least 110 described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Adults are typically associated with vegetation, and some species are documented agricultural pests of crops such as maize. Larval stages are soil-dwelling and develop in association with organic matter or host plant roots.
Malagoniella astyanax
Malagoniella astyanax is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, formerly placed in the tribe Canthonini. It is distributed across South America, with documented occurrences in Colombia and other countries. The species comprises five recognized subspecies showing geographic variation across its range.
Martineziana
Martineziana is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, containing six described species. These beetles are classified within the tribe Eupariini, a group of small to medium-sized scarabs often associated with decomposing organic matter. The genus was established by Chalumeau & Özdikmen in 2006. Species are distributed across the Neotropical region, with records from Argentina and other South American localities.
Megasoma sleeperi
Sleeper's Elephant Beetle
Megasoma sleeperi is a species of rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is endemic to the Algodones Dunes of southeastern California and adjacent areas of southwestern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Like other members of the genus Megasoma, it is among the largest beetles in North America. Males possess prominent horns used in combat with other males. The species was described by Hardy in 1972 and is named in honor of collector R. C. Sleeper.
Melanocanthon
Melanocanthon is a genus of dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, established by Halffter in 1958. The genus contains at least four described species distributed in the Nearctic region. Unlike many scarabaeine dung beetles, at least one species (M. nigricornis) has been documented utilizing fungus and carrion rather than dung as primary food resources.
Melanocanthon nigricornis
A small dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, native to central North America. The species name "nigricornis" refers to its black antennae. It inhabits grassland and prairie ecosystems where it contributes to nutrient cycling through dung burial. The species has been documented across a broad swath of the central United States and extends into northern Mexico.
Melanocanthon vulturnus
Melanocanthon vulturnus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Edmonds in 2023. It belongs to the genus Melanocanthon within the tribe Deltochilini. As a recently described species, published knowledge about its biology and ecology remains limited. It is part of the diverse scarab beetle fauna associated with dung decomposition.
Melinopterus consentaneus
Melinopterus consentaneus is a species of scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species was described by LeConte in 1850. It is currently treated as a synonym of Flaviellus consentaneus. Records indicate occurrence in prairie and grassland regions of central North America.
Melinopterus femoralis
Melinopterus femoralis is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It is broadly distributed across North America, with records from numerous U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and has also been reported from Siberia in the Palaearctic region. As a member of the Aphodiinae, it is associated with dung decomposition and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.
Mendidius aculeatus
Mendidius aculeatus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. It was described by Robinson in 1940. The species is known from scattered records in the southwestern United States (California, Nevada, Utah) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua). Like other members of the genus Mendidius, it is presumed to be associated with dung and decaying organic matter, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Merogyrus
Merogyrus is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Gordon and Skelley in 2007. It belongs to the tribe Aphodiini, a group commonly known as small dung beetles. The genus is currently known from the Nearctic region. As a recently described and poorly documented genus, few species-level details have been published.
Merogyrus rotundiceps
Merogyrus rotundiceps is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. Described by Fall in 1907, this species is known from the Nearctic region with confirmed records from North Carolina, USA. Like other members of the genus Merogyrus, it is classified within the tribe Aphodiini, a group primarily associated with dung-feeding habits. The species epithet 'rotundiceps' refers to its rounded head structure.
Micraegialia pusilla
Micraegialia pusilla is a small scarab beetle in the subfamily Aegialiinae, first described by Horn in 1887. The species occurs in northern North America, with records from Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Canadian provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba. As a member of the tribe Aegialiini, it belongs to a group commonly known as sand-loving scarabs.
Neopsammodius interruptus
Neopsammodius interruptus is an aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1835. It is known from multiple states across the United States.
Neopsammodius quinqueplicatus
Neopsammodius quinqueplicatus is a species of aphodiine dung beetle described by Horn in 1871. It belongs to the family Scarabaeidae and is part of the Psammodiini tribe, which comprises beetles often associated with sandy habitats. The species occurs in both Nearctic and Neotropical regions.
Neopsammodius werneri
Neopsammodius werneri is a species of aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It was described by Cartwright in 1955. The species occurs in both Central America and North America, with records from the southern United States (Texas) and several Mexican states including Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, as well as Honduras. As a member of the tribe Psammodiini, it is associated with sandy habitats.
Neotrichonotulus inurbanus
Neotrichonotulus inurbanus is a species of scarab beetle in the subfamily Aphodiinae, described by Gordon and Howden in 1973. It belongs to a genus of dung beetles found in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America and Mexico. The species is poorly documented in scientific literature and has no recorded observations on iNaturalist.
Nialaphodius
Nialaphodius is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Aphodiinae. The genus was established by Kolbe in 1908 and has been recorded from multiple biogeographic regions including the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Madagascan realms. As a member of the dung beetle tribe Aphodiini, species in this genus are likely associated with decomposing organic matter. The genus is poorly documented in public repositories, with minimal observational records available.
Odontopsammodius
Odontopsammodius is a genus of aphodiine dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, established by Gordon and Pittino in 1992. The genus comprises approximately 12 described species. These beetles belong to the tribe Psammodiini, a group associated with sandy habitats. The genus is distributed in the Neotropical region.
Odontopsammodius cruentus
Odontopsammodius cruentus is a small aphodiine dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is distributed across parts of North America and South America, with records from the southeastern United States and Argentina. As a member of the tribe Psammodiini, it is associated with sandy substrates. The species was described by Harold in 1867.
Oniticellini
Oniticellini is a tribe of scarab beetles within the subfamily Scarabaeinae, commonly known as true dung beetles. The tribe comprises one of the largest and most ecologically significant groups of dung beetles globally, accounting for approximately half of the world's dung beetle fauna. Species in this tribe exhibit diverse nesting behaviors, with most acting as tunnelers that bury dung below droppings, while some genera such as Oniticellus and Tragiscus function as dwellers that create brood cavities within or beneath dung. Oniticellini and the related tribe Onthophagini share a single common ancestor and have achieved worldwide distribution except for Antarctica.
Onitini
Onitini is a tribe of dung beetles within Scarabaeidae, erected by Frederic William Hope. The tribe comprises approximately 18 genera including the type genus Onitis and the diverse genus Cheironitis. Members are primarily distributed across arid regions of the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions, with some species extending into the Oriental region. These beetles are associated with dung decomposition in dryland ecosystems.
Onthophagini
Onthophagine dung beetles
Onthophagini is a large and ecologically significant tribe of dung beetles within the family Scarabaeidae. The tribe comprises approximately half of the world's dung beetle fauna, with the genus Onthophagus alone containing over 2,300 species worldwide. Members are found on every continent except Antarctica. The tribe originated from a single common ancestor shared with the Oniticellini, with which it forms a monophyletic group. While many dung beetles are known for ball-rolling behavior, Onthophagini species exhibit diverse feeding strategies including specialization on fungi, carrion, and dead millipedes, with some species living in close association with termites and ants.
Onthophagus alluvius
Onthophagus alluvius is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Howden and Cartwright in 1963. It is native to the southern United States, particularly Texas, and extends into central and eastern Mexico. The species has been documented using dog dung as a resource. Like other Onthophagus species, it likely engages in tunneling behavior to bury dung for larval development, though specific behavioral details for this species remain limited.
Onthophagus arnetti
Onthophagus arnetti is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Howden and Cartwright in 1963. Like other members of the genus Onthophagus, it is likely associated with mammal dung, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The species is known from Arizona in the southwestern United States.
Onthophagus batesi
Onthophagus batesi is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, distributed across Central America, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States. The species belongs to a genus renowned for male horn polymorphism and complex sexual selection dynamics. Like other Onthophagus species, it is associated with mammal dung for feeding and breeding. It was described by Harold in 1867 and has also been classified under the genus Phalops.
Onthophagus brevifrons
Onthophagus brevifrons is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by George Henry Horn in 1881. The species is distributed across parts of the southern United States and northern Mexico, occurring in Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Durango, and San Luis Potosí. Like other members of the genus Onthophagus, it is a tunneling dung beetle that buries dung for larval development. The specific epithet "brevifrons" refers to the short frontal region of the head.
Onthophagus browni
Onthophagus browni is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Howden and Cartwright in 1963. It belongs to the large and diverse genus Onthophagus, which contains over 2,000 species worldwide. Like other members of its genus, this species is associated with mammal dung, playing a role in nutrient cycling. The species is distributed across parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Onthophagus cavernicollis
Cave-dwelling Dung Beetle
Onthophagus cavernicollis is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Howden and Cartwright in 1963. The species epithet "cavernicollis" suggests a possible association with cave or subterranean habitats, though specific ecological details remain limited. Like other members of the genus Onthophagus, it is presumed to be a dung-feeding beetle involved in nutrient recycling. The species has been documented in the south-central United States.
Onthophagus cochisus
Onthophagus cochisus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Brown in 1927. It belongs to the genus Onthophagus, a large and diverse group of tunneler dung beetles found worldwide. The species is known from limited distribution records in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Onthophagus coproides
Onthophagus coproides is a small dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Horn in 1881. It measures 11–14 mm in length. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it participates in dung decomposition and nutrient cycling in arid and semi-arid environments.
Onthophagus cynomysi
Onthophagus cynomysi is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Brown in 1927. It is part of the large and diverse genus Onthophagus, which contains hundreds of species distributed worldwide. Like other members of this genus, it is likely associated with mammalian dung as a food and breeding resource, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The species is known from scattered records in the south-central United States.
Onthophagus durangoensis
Onthophagus durangoensis is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, native to mountainous regions of Mexico and extending into the southwestern United States. It inhabits montane forests and has been documented in states across central and western Mexico, as well as in Arizona and New Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with mammal dung and plays a role in nutrient cycling in its ecosystems. The species was described by Balthasar in 1939 and is considered valid and accepted in current taxonomy.
Onthophagus hoepfneri
Onthophagus hoepfneri is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Harold in 1869. The species occurs across parts of Mexico, Central America, and the southwestern United States. As a member of the genus Onthophagus, it is likely a tunneler-type dung beetle that buries dung for larval development, though specific behavioral and ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Onthophagus knausi
Onthophagus knausi is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Brown in 1927. It belongs to the large genus Onthophagus, which contains numerous species known for their role in dung decomposition and distinctive male horn polymorphisms. The species is recorded from the central United States, with distribution records from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas.
Onthophagus mextexus
Onthophagus mextexus is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Howden and Cartwright in 1970. The species occurs in montane regions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, USA. As a member of the genus Onthophagus, it is presumed to be a tunneler dung beetle that buries dung for larval development, though specific natural history details remain undocumented. The species was described from specimens collected in the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Veracruz.
Onthophagus oklahomensis
Onthophagus oklahomensis is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Brown in 1927. It belongs to the genus Onthophagus, a large and diverse group of tunneler dung beetles known for their ecological role in nutrient recycling. The species is documented from the southeastern and south-central United States, with records extending from Oklahoma eastward to the Atlantic coast. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to be associated with mammal dung, though specific ecological studies on this species are limited.
Onthophagus orpheus pseudorpheus
Onthophagus orpheus pseudorpheus is a subspecies of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. As a member of the genus Onthophagus, it exhibits the characteristic tunnelling behavior and horned male morphology typical of this diverse dung beetle group. The nominate subspecies O. orpheus orpheus has been studied in urban environments, where males use their horns in combat for access to females, suggesting similar behavioral ecology may apply to this subspecies.
Onthophagus pennsylvanicus
Onthophagus pennsylvanicus is a dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Harold in 1871. It belongs to a genus known for tunneling behavior and brood ball construction. The species occurs in North America, with records from the United States and Canada.
Onthophagus schaefferi
Onthophagus schaefferi is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Howden and Cartwright in 1963. It belongs to the genus Onthophagus, a large and diverse group of dung beetles known for their ecological role in nutrient recycling and their complex sexual selection dynamics involving horned males. The species has been recorded from Texas in the United States and Veracruz in Mexico, placing it within the Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographic realms. Like other members of its genus, it likely participates in dung burial behavior, though specific details for this species remain limited.
Onthophagus striatulus
Lined Dung Beetle
Onthophagus striatulus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as the Lined Dung Beetle. The species occurs in North America, with documented records from Québec, Canada. Two subspecies are recognized: Onthophagus striatulus striatulus (the nominate subspecies) and Onthophagus striatulus floridanus. As a member of the genus Onthophagus, it shares the characteristic tunneling behavior typical of this diverse group of dung beetles.
Onthophagus subaeneus
Onthophagus subaeneus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It belongs to the diverse genus Onthophagus, which includes species known for horned males and brood ball construction. The species has been documented across a broad range of eastern and central United States. Specific ecological details for this species remain limited in available sources.
Onthophagus subopacus
Onthophagus subopacus is a dung beetle species in the family Scarabaeidae, described by Robinson in 1940. The species is recorded from the southwestern United States (Arizona) and western Mexico (Durango, Jalisco, Sonora). As a member of the genus Onthophagus, it likely participates in dung burial and nutrient cycling, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Onthophagus subtropicus
Onthophagus subtropicus is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Howden and Cartwright in 1963. It belongs to the large genus Onthophagus, which contains over 2,000 species of tunneling dung beetles distributed worldwide. The species name suggests an association with subtropical regions. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to feed on mammal dung and to exhibit sexual dimorphism with horned males, though specific studies on this species are limited.
Onthophagus tuberculifrons
Onthophagus tuberculifrons is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, first described by Harold in 1871. The species has a broad distribution spanning the Nearctic region of North America and Oceania, including Hawaii. Like other members of the genus Onthophagus, it is presumed to be associated with mammal dung for feeding and breeding. The specific epithet "tuberculifrons" refers to tubercles on the frons (front of the head).