Coprophanaeus lancifer

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Coprophanaeus lancifer is a large scarab beetle found in South America. Adults measure 28–56 mm long (average about 44 mm) and can weigh up to 10 g, making them one of the biggest dung beetles in the Americas. Males have a head horn that’s larger than in females, but the horn is less obvious in smaller individuals, so the species shows relatively little sexual dimorphism.

Distribution and habitat: It lives in the Amazon rainforest and can be found in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. They are ground-dwelling, mostly in solid-ground forests (terra firma) rather than floodplain forests. A study found many of these beetles in northeastern Brazil, an important record for the genus in South America. Habitat loss and urban expansion threaten them in parts of their range.

Diet and behavior: Although part of the dung beetle group, C. lancifer mainly feeds on vertebrate carcasses and may also eat feces, ripe fallen fruit, or decomposing millipedes. They can fly up to about 5 km per day to locate food. They dig tunnels under a carcass and move parts of it to a nest underground where eggs are laid. When a carcass is bloated, they can roll it onto its back and move bone fragments up to 30 cm away. Their feeding on carrion also makes them useful in forensic science.

Activity and coloration: They are crepuscular, flying mainly at dusk. They are strong diggers and good fliers. They usually appear blue-green with a bright pronotum and a black horn. Their color can shift with the environment, likely due to structural coloration. Their vision is best at short distances (about half a meter) in dusk light, helping them spot mates by contrasts between the horn, pronotum, and surroundings. At longer distances, brightness contrast helps detection.

Conservation note: Deforestation and urbanization threaten their habitats, especially in the Atlantic forest region.