Beach Sunflower vs Common dung beetle

Helianthus debilis compared with Aphodius pedellus

Key Differences

• Beach Sunflower is Not Evaluated while Common dung beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beach Sunflower	Common dung beetle
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Scarabaeidae
Genus	Helianthus (Sunflowers)	Aphodius
Species	Helianthus debilis	Aphodius pedellus

Conservation Status

Beach Sunflower

NE — Not Evaluated

Common dung beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beach Sunflower	Common dung beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beach Sunflower

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (India, South Korea), Europe (9 countries), North America (United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Common dung beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and United States.

Beach Sunflower

The Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) is a species in the genus Helianthus. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Common dung beetle

<em>Aphodius pedellus</em>, a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable conservation outlook across its known range. The species has been documented in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, with its distribution spanning virtually all terrestrial and freshwater biome types. As a member of the Aphodiini tribe, <em>Aphodius pedellus</em> typically inhabits pastures, meadows, and woodland edges where mammalian dung is available, as dung beetles in this genus rely on feces as both a breeding medium and a food resource. These beetles play a critical role in nutrient cycling and soil aeration, breaking down organic waste and accelerating the return of nutrients to the soil. Their burrowing activity beneath dung pats enhances soil structure and improves water infiltration. <em>Aphodius pedellus</em> is part of a guild of coprophagous insects that collectively support healthy agricultural and natural ecosystems across temperate Europe and North America. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States