| Sisyphus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sisyphus longipes | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Scarabaeiformia |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Tribe: | Scarabaeini |
| Genus: | Sisyphus Latreille, 1807 |
| Species | |
see text | |
Sisyphus is a genus of dung beetles comprising more than 90 species. [1] Adults are characterised by their long hind legs. [2]
The genus is named after Sisyphus, a mortal in Greek mythology who was condemned to the task of rolling a boulder up a hill for eternity.
Africa, Eurasia, Asia, Central America and Australia. [1]
Adults separate balls of dung from droppings and roll them some distance over the soil surface before burying them. [2] Eggs are laid in the buried dung; this provides a source of food for the larvae once they hatch.
One common species is Sisyphus schaefferi (Linnaeus, 1758).
