Two-Horned Oxysternon vs Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Two-Horned Oxysternon Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Oxysternon durum Euoniticellus pallipes
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Scarabaeidae
Size 20-28 mm 5-8 mm
Habitat Forests Farmland
Diet Dung Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions South America Africa, introduced to Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Two-Horned Oxysternon

A large, dark metallic green tunneling dung beetle with two prominent pronotal projections in males. The clypeus has a distinctive upturned anterior margin. It is a powerful tunneler in Amazonian rainforests.

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Did You Know?

This beetle is so efficient at burying dung that it plays a measurable role in reducing livestock parasite transmission.

Ivory-Spotted Dung Beetle

A small, pale brown tunneling dung beetle with ivory-colored legs. Native to Africa, it has been introduced to several countries as a biological control agent. It is especially efficient in warm, dry climates.

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Did You Know?

This tiny beetle can compete with much larger species by arriving first and tunneling quickly beneath fresh dung.