Black Dung Beetle vs Round-Necked Burying Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Dung Beetle Round-Necked Burying Beetle
Scientific Name Copris lunaris Nicrophorus orbicollis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Silphidae
Size 15-22 mm 18-22 mm
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Dung Beetle

A robust black dung beetle found across Europe and parts of Asia. Males bear a single curved horn on the head and exhibit biparental brood care.

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Did You Know?

Both parents cooperate to provision and guard the brood chamber, which is unusual among beetles.

Round-Necked Burying Beetle

A medium-sized burying beetle with orange-red markings and a distinctly rounded thorax. It is one of the most common Nicrophorus species in North American forests.

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Did You Know?

Males attract females to a carcass by standing on top and releasing pheromones from their raised abdomens.