Coastal Dung Beetle vs Kleine Nackenhorn

Onthophagus nigriventris compared with Onthophagus nuchicornis

Key Differences

• Coastal Dung Beetle is Least Concern while Kleine Nackenhorn is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Dung Beetle	Kleine Nackenhorn
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class same	Insecta (Insekten)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order same	Coleoptera (Käfer)	Coleoptera (Käfer)
Family same	Scarabaeidae	Scarabaeidae
Genus same	Onthophagus	Onthophagus
Species	Onthophagus nigriventris	Onthophagus nuchicornis

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Dung Beetle and Kleine Nackenhorn share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Onthophagus.

Conservation Status

Coastal Dung Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Kleine Nackenhorn

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Dung Beetle	Kleine Nackenhorn
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Dung Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Kleine Nackenhorn

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Endangered 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States