Fluted-horn Dung Beetle vs Violet Dung Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Fluted-horn Dung Beetle | Violet Dung Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Copris elphenor | Oniticellus planatus |
| Order | Coleoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Scarabaeidae |
| Size | 20-35 mm | 7-11 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Grasslands |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Dung Feeders |
| Regions | East Africa, Southern Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Fluted-horn Dung Beetle
A large black dung beetle with a prominent curved horn on the male's head. It buries dung balls underground to provision its brood.
Did You Know?
A single pair can bury a dung ball weighing over 200 times their own body weight in one night.
Violet Dung Beetle
A small, distinctive dung beetle with a flattened body and yellowish elytra marked with dark spots. Despite being in the tunneler group, it shows some dweller-like behavior. Commonly found at cattle dung in African grasslands.
Did You Know?
This species makes its brood balls inside the dung pat itself rather than in tunnels, blurring the line between tunneler and dweller strategies.