Anoplotrupes stercorosus, the dor beetle, is a species of earth-boring dung beetle belonging to the family Geotrupidae, subfamily Geotrupinae.
| Anoplotrupes stercorosus | |
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| Anoplotrupes stercorosus, upperside | |
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| Side view | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Geotrupidae |
| Genus: | Anoplotrupes |
| Species: | A. stercorosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Hartmann in L. G. Scriba, 1791)
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| Synonyms | |
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List
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Varieties
editVarieties or forms that have been recognized at times include the following:[1]
- A. stercorosus var. viridis (Dalla Torre, 1879)
- A. stercorosus var. amoethystinus (Mulsant, 1842)
- A. stercorosus var. nigrinus (Mulsant, 1842)
- A. stercorosus ab. juvenilis (Mulsant, 1842)
These are now regarded as synonyms of the parent taxon;[2] the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature does not recognize named forms other than subspecies.
Distribution
editThis beetle is present throughout most of Europe[3][4] and in Asia.[4] It is also found in other regions of the world where cattle have been introduced, such as Australia.
Habitat
editThese beetles inhabit fresh[clarification needed] areas of broadleaf forests, mainly beech forests; moist mixed forest; and fresh[clarification needed] coniferous forests.[5][6]
Description
editThe adults of A. stercorosus grow up to 12–19 millimetres (0.47–0.75 in) long [7][8] and therefore they do not reach the length of the very similar common dung beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius). The body colour is blue-black, while the underside is usually metallic blue. The elytra have seven longitudinal slightly dotted grooves. The wings may be blue, violet or green. Antennae are reddish brown. Geotrupes stercorarius presents three keels on the outer side of the tibia of the third pair of legs, while A. stercorosus presents only two.
Biology
editAdults can be encountered from June through the following spring.[5]
In spring they lay eggs in chambers at the end of a corridor dug in the soil that is approximately 70–80 centimetres (28–31 in) long,[5][failed verification] in which dead plant matter[9][10] or feces of herbivorous and omnivorous animals[5] are placed to feed the larvae.
The larvae overwinter and pupate in spring, requiring a year to complete the whole process.[5]
Adult dung beetles feed on feces and carrion.[7][11][12] They may also feed on litter mold, decomposing fungi and Phallus impudicus.[5]
Gallery
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Anoplotrupes stercorosus moving feces -
Taking flight -
Museum specimen -
Video clip
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Bibliography
edit- Anderson, R., Nash, R. & O'Connor, J. P. 1997, Irish Coleoptera: a revised and annotated list, Irish Naturalists' Journal Special Entomological Supplement, 1-81
- Joy, N. H., 1932, A practical handbook of British beetles, H. F. & G. Witherby, London
- Jessop, L., 1986, Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea. Dung beetles and chafers
- Mann, D., 2002, Geotrupidae in: Checklist of Beetles of the British Isles. www.coleopterist.org.uk
- Mulsant E. (1842) Histoire naturelle des Coléoptères de France. Lamellicornes, Paris, Lyon :1-623
- Scriba L.G. (1791) Entomologische Bemerkungen und Erfahrungen, Journal für die Liebhaber der Entomologie. Frankfurt 1(3):244-255
References
edit
- ^ Biolib
- ^ "Catalogue of Life : Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Scriba, 1791)". www.catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 2019-08-16.
- ^ "Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Scriba, 1791)". Fauna Europaea. Fauna Europaea Secretariat, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Hartmann, 1791)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Commanster[self-published source]
- ^ Adam Byk, Piotr Semkiw. Habitat preferences of the forest dung beetle Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Scriba, 1791) (Coleoptera:Geotrupinae) in Białowieża Forest. Acta Sci. Pol. Silv. Colendar. Rat. Ind. Lig nar. 9 (3-4), s. 17-28, 2010.
- ^ a b Weithmann, Sandra; von Hoermann, Christian; Schmitt, Thomas; Steiger, Sandra; Ayasse, Manfred (August 2020). "The Attraction of the Dung Beetle Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) to Volatiles from Vertebrate Cadavers". Insects. 11 (8): 476. doi:10.3390/insects11080476. PMC 7469141. PMID 32727148.
- ^ Atlas of Geotrupidae of Russia
- ^ Stebnicka, Z. (1976). "Żukowate – Scarabaeidae. Grupa podrodzin: Scarabaeidae laparosticti". Klucze do rozpoznawania owadów Polski. XIX (28a): 139.
- ^ Marczak, Dawid (1 September 2013). "Habitat selection by two species of dung beetle, Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Scriba) and Trypocopris vernalis (L.) (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae), changes with stand age in a fresh pine forest". Forest Research Papers. 74 (3): 227–232. doi:10.2478/frp-2013-0022.
- ^ Tischler, W. H. (1976). "Untersuchungen über die tierische Besiedlung von Aas in verschiedenen Strata von Waldökosystemen". Pedobiologia. 16 (2): 99–105. doi:10.1016/S0031-4056(23)07453-X.
- ^ Erbeling, L.; Erbeling, M. (1984). "Faunistische und ökologische Untersuchungen zur Sukzession aasbesuchender Coleopteren im südlichen Eggegebirge". Decheniana. 139: 231–240. doi:10.21248/decheniana.v139.3852.