Horned Dung Beetle
Copris lunaris
The Horned Dung Beetle (Copris lunaris) is a large, robust scarab beetle distinguished by the prominent horn-like projections on the male's head and thorax, which are used in territorial combat. These beetles play a crucial ecological role as decomposers, burying and processing mammalian dung to create nutrient-rich brood balls for their larvae, thereby cycling nutrients back into soil ecosystems.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Scarabaeidae
Genus
Copris
Horned Dung Beetle belongs to the family Scarabaeidae, order Coleoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
The Horned Dung Beetle (Copris lunaris) is a large, robust scarab beetle distinguished by the prominent horn-like projections on the male's head and thorax, which are used in territorial combat. These beetles play a crucial ecological role as decomposers, burying and processing mammalian dung to create nutrient-rich brood balls for their larvae, thereby cycling nutrients back into soil ecosystems.
The Horned Dung Beetle (Copris lunaris) has experienced severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of grassland ecosystems across Europe. Agricultural intensification, including the widespread use of veterinary medicines like ivermectin that contaminate dung and reduce insect survival, has significantly impacted populations. The species' dependence on large mammal dung and traditional pastoral systems makes it particularly vulnerable to modern farming practices.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Horned Dung Beetles inhabit open grasslands, pastures, and woodland edges where large herbivorous mammals graze, requiring areas with loose, well-draining soils suitable for excavating deep burrows beneath fresh dung deposits.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Horned Dung Beetle (Copris lunaris) has experienced severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of grassland ecosystems across Europe. Agricultural intensification, including the widespread use of veterinary medicines like ivermectin that contaminate dung and reduce insect survival, has significantly impacted populations. The species' dependence on large mammal dung and traditional pastoral systems makes it particularly vulnerable to modern farming practices.
Agricultural intensification and habitat loss
Decline of traditional pastoral systems
Veterinary medicine contamination in livestock dung
Grassland habitat fragmentation
Reduced availability of suitable dung resources
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Horned Dung Beetle (Copris lunaris). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/horned-dung-beetle