Elephant Dung Beetle vs African Goliath Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Elephant Dung Beetle African Goliath Beetle
Scientific Name Heliocopris dilloni Goliathus cacicus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Scarabaeidae
Size 35-55 mm 50-90 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions East Africa, Southern Africa West Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Elephant Dung Beetle

A very large black dung beetle that specializes in elephant dung. Males have a prominent curved horn on the thorax.

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Did You Know?

A single elephant dropping can attract over 4,000 dung beetles within 15 minutes of being deposited.

African Goliath Beetle

A large cetoniine beetle with cream and dark brown patterning across its wing cases. It is found in lowland forests of West Africa.

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Did You Know?

Goliathus cacicus was one of the first goliath beetle species described by European naturalists in the 18th century.