Coastal Dung Beetle vs koala

Onthophagus nigriventris compared with Phascolarctos cinereus

Key Differences

• Coastal Dung Beetle is Least Concern while koala is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Dung Beetle	koala
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Coleoptera (Beetles)	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)
Family	Scarabaeidae	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)
Genus	Onthophagus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)
Species	Onthophagus nigriventris	Phascolarctos cinereus

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Dung Beetle and koala share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Coastal Dung Beetle

LC — Least Concern

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Dung Beetle	koala
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	75 cm
Average Weight	—	10.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Dung Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Coastal Dung Beetle

Onthophagus nigriventris, the coastal dung beetle, is a scarabaeid beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Scarabaeinae, recorded from coastal habitats in the United States. Dung beetles in the genus Onthophagus, comprising over 2,000 species and representing the most species-rich genus of beetles globally, play critical ecological roles as decomposers, burying mammal dung to provision nests in which females lay eggs and larvae develop. By transporting dung underground, Onthophagus beetles contribute to nutrient cycling, soil aeration, secondary seed dispersal from seeds present in dung, and reduction of parasite loads in livestock. The coastal association of O. nigriventris may reflect its association with marine mammal haul-out sites, seabird colonies, or the dung of coastal wildlife such as deer, raccoons, and feral animals in beach and dune systems. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Dung beetle communities have declined significantly in parts of North America and Europe due to widespread veterinary use of ivermectin and related antiparasitic drugs in livestock, which persist in dung and are lethal to beetle larvae developing within treated dung pats.

koala

Iconic marsupial of eastern and southeastern Australia, koalas weigh up to 15 kg and spend up to 22 hours daily sleeping to conserve energy from their low-calorie eucalyptus leaf diet. Highly specialized to process toxic eucalyptus compounds that would kill most other mammals, they have gut microbiomes uniquely adapted for detoxification. Listed as Endangered in 2022, with populations decimated by chlamydia disease, habitat clearing, and climate change.