Black Vine Weevil vs Common dung beetle

Otiorhynchus sulcatus compared with Aphodius pedellus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Vine Weevil	Common dung beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Curculionidae	Scarabaeidae
Genus	Otiorhynchus	Aphodius
Species	Otiorhynchus sulcatus	Aphodius pedellus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black Vine Weevil and Common dung beetle share a common ancestor at the Order level: Coleoptera. (Beetles)

Conservation Status

Black Vine Weevil

LC — Least Concern

Common dung beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Vine Weevil	Common dung beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Vine Weevil

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Azerbaijan, Japan, Turkey), Europe (32 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

Common dung beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Black Vine Weevil

The Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is a species in the genus Otiorhynchus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm, found across Albania, Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and more.

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 5 countries:

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