| Onthophagus vacca | |
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| Onthophagus vacca, male and female. Museum specimens | |
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| Species: | O. vacca |
| Binomial name | |
| Onthophagus vacca (Linnaeus, 1767) | |
Onthophagus vacca is a species of dung beetles in the Onthophagini tribe of the wider scarab beetle family, Scarabaeidae. [1]
Onthophagus vacca can reach a length of 7–13 millimetres (0.28–0.51 in). [2] Pronotum is densely punctured. The first pair of legs are powerful, with three teeth on the outside and fit to digging. Head, legs and pronotum are black or dark green, while elytrae are yellowish with small green dots, often merged into longitudinal stripes.
This species is present in most of Southern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. [3] It was introduced to Australia in 2014 to improve processing of cattle dung. [4]
The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change in recent years. Several subfamilies have been elevated to family rank, and some reduced to lower ranks. The subfamilies listed in this article are in accordance with those in Bouchard (2011).
Dung beetles are beetles that feed on feces. Some species of dung beetles can bury dung 250 times their own mass in one night.
The scarab beetle subfamily Scarabaeinae consists of species collectively called true dung beetles. Most of the beetles of this subfamily feed exclusively on dung. However, some may feed on decomposing matter including carrion, decaying fruits and fungi. Dung beetles can be placed into three structural guilds based on their method of dung processing namely rollers, dwellers and tunnelers Dung removal and burial by dung beetles result in ecological benefits such as soil aeration and fertilization; improved nutrient cycling and uptake by plants, increase in Pasture quality, biological control of pest flies and intestinal parasites and secondary seed dispersal. Well-known members include the genera Scarabaeus and Sisyphus, and Phanaeus vindex.
Scarabaeus sacer, common name sacred scarab, is a species of dung beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae.
Amphionthophagus is a subgenus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. It is in the genus Onthophagus.
Diastellopalpus is a genus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. It was considered a subgenus of Onthophagus by some authorities.
Digitonthophagus is a genus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. It was considered a subgenus of Onthophagus by some authorities. A review of the taxon was published in 2017.
Euoniticellus is a genus of dung beetles in the subfamily Scarabaeinae of the scarab beetle family.
Gibbonthophagus Balthasar, 1935 is a subgenus of the scarab beetle genus Onthophagus within the subfamily Scarabaeinae of Scarabaeidae.
Onthophagus is a genus of dung beetles in the Onthophagini tribe of the wider scarab beetle family, Scarabaeidae. It is the most species-rich and widespread genus in the subfamily Scarabaeinae, with a global distribution.
Onthophagus gazella is a species of scarab beetle. It belongs to the subgenus Digitonthophagus, which may also be treated as a genus. There has been some confusion regarding the application of the name.
The taurus scarab is a species of dung beetle in the genus Onthophagus and the family Scarabaeidae.
Onthophagus nigriventris is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae.
Caccobius schreberi is a species of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea.
Proagoderus is a genus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the subfamily Scarabaeinae. It was considered a subgenus of Onthophagus by some authorities. It includes over 100 species native to Africa and Asia.
Cartwrightia is a genus of scarab found in Latin America. It was named and circumscribed in 1958 by Federico Islas Salas. As of 2017, three species are recognized: C. intertribalis, C. cartwrighti, and C. islasi. They can be found in the nests of leafcutter ants or in dung.
Onthophagus coproides is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae.
Onthophagus polyphemi, known generally as the gopher tortoise onthophagus beetle or onthophagus tortoise commensal scarab, is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae.
Onthophagus hecate, the scooped scarab, is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae.
Onthophagus nuchicornis is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in Europe and North America. Though Onthophagus nuchicornis is listed as "Vulnerable" in the United Kingdom, it is a common and abundant species in North America. It has been used as a model organism for ecotoxicological studies of ivermectin, where different biological endpoints are stimulated at low levels of ivermectin exposure, but impaired at high levels of ivermectin exposure.
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