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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » Dung Beetles (Scarabaeinae) » Onthophagini » Onthophagus » Bull Headed Dung Beetle (Onthophagus taurus)

Species Onthophagus taurus - Bull Headed Dung Beetle

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Works Cited
Onthophagus taurus, major male - Onthophagus taurus - male Bull Headed Dung Beetle - Onthophagus taurus - male Scarabaeidae - Onthophagus taurus Which Onthophagus? - Onthophagus taurus Onthophagus taurus Female dung beetle? - Onthophagus taurus March-0BG.J.2012.06 - Onthophagus taurus March-0BG.J.2012.06 - Onthophagus taurus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea
Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)
Subfamily Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)
Tribe Onthophagini
Genus Onthophagus
Species taurus (Bull Headed Dung Beetle)
Explanation of Names
Onthophagus taurus (Schreber 1759)
Numbers
6.0‒11.5 mm(1)
Identification
Major males have long horns and are easy to identify; minor males may be confused for those of O. taurus
Range
native to w. Palaearctic, introduced in NA and widespread in the US (OR‒CA; NH‒FL to MO‒TX); intentionally released in CA NJ TX(1)(2)(3)
Food
Dung generalist
Life Cycle
Some females practice brood parasitism
Remarks
earliest record in our area: FL 1971(1)
Works Cited
1.Adventive Onthophagus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in North America: geographic ranges, diagnoses, and new distributional records
Hoebeke E.R., Beucke K. 1997. Entomological News 108: 345–362.
2.Additional records of adventive Onthophagus Latreille (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in North America
MacRae T.C., Penn S.R. 2001. The Coleopterists Bulletin 55: 49–50.
3.UNH Insect and Arachnid Collections
Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 12 July, 2005 - 7:18am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Phillip Harpootlian, Mike Quinn, v belov, roar
Last updated 9 May, 2024 - 5:35pm

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