Giant Neotropical Ball Roller vs Fungicola Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Neotropical Ball Roller Fungicola Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Canthon aequinoctialis Helictopleurus fungicola
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Scarabaeidae
Size 10-16 mm 8-14 mm
Habitat Forests Mountains
Diet Dung Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions Central America, South America Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Giant Neotropical Ball Roller

A medium-sized, matte black roller dung beetle common in Central and South American forests. It is one of the most abundant forest-floor dung beetles in the Neotropics. Pairs cooperate to roll balls rapidly along forest trails.

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Did You Know?

During the rainy season, this beetle can be so abundant at a single dung pat that dozens compete for portions simultaneously.

Fungicola Dung Beetle

A small dung beetle with an extraordinary pair of cephalic horns in males, revealed through genomic and morphological study. Its dark body bears fine punctation across the elytra.

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Did You Know?

Genome sequencing of this species group revealed surprisingly complex horn structures that had been overlooked for decades by morphologists.