Bullhorned Dung Beetle vs Coastal Dung Beetle

Onthophagus taurus compared with Onthophagus nigriventris

Key Differences

• Bullhorned Dung Beetle is Not Evaluated while Coastal Dung Beetle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bullhorned Dung Beetle	Coastal Dung Beetle
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class same	Insecta (แมลง)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order same	Coleoptera (อันดับด้วง)	Coleoptera (อันดับด้วง)
Family same	Scarabaeidae	Scarabaeidae
Genus same	Onthophagus	Onthophagus
Species	Onthophagus taurus	Onthophagus nigriventris

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Bullhorned Dung Beetle

NE — Not Evaluated

Coastal Dung Beetle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bullhorned Dung Beetle	Coastal Dung Beetle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bullhorned Dung Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

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

Coastal Dung Beetle

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Bullhorned Dung Beetle

The Bullhorned Dung Beetle (Onthophagus taurus) is a species in the genus Onthophagus. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

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