Flat-Horned Dung Beetle vs Igneus Rainbow Scarab

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flat-Horned Dung Beetle Igneus Rainbow Scarab
Scientific Name Onthophagus planicornis Phanaeus igneus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Scarabaeidae
Size 7-12 mm 12-20 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Forests
Diet Dung Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Sub-Saharan Africa Southeastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Flat-Horned Dung Beetle

A small, dark tunneling dung beetle with laterally flattened horns in major males. Found in tropical Africa, it is a rapid responder to fresh dung. Females construct multiple brood balls in underground chambers.

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Did You Know?

This species was among those exported to Australia as part of the CSIRO Dung Beetle Project.

Igneus Rainbow Scarab

A brilliantly metallic green, blue, and red tunneling dung beetle of the southeastern United States. Males have a long, slender horn on the head. It tunnels beneath dung on sandy soils in pine forests.

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Did You Know?

The fiery metallic colors that give it the name igneus make it one of the most colorful beetles in North America.