Black Tooth vs Common dung beetle

Phellodon niger compared with Aphodius pedellus

Key Differences

• Black Tooth is Critically Endangered while Common dung beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Tooth	Common dung beetle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Thelephorales (Thelephorales)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Thelephoraceae	Scarabaeidae
Genus	Phellodon	Aphodius
Species	Phellodon niger	Aphodius pedellus

Conservation Status

Black Tooth

CR — Critically Endangered

Common dung beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Tooth	Common dung beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Tooth

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common dung beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Black Tooth

The Black Tooth (Phellodon niger) is a species in the genus Phellodon. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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