Dung beetles belong primarily to the family Scarabaeidae, which is part of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea within the order Coleoptera (beetles). Within Scarabaeidae, most dung beetles are found in the subfamilies Scarabaeinae (often called “true dung beetles”) and Aphodiinae (small dung beetles).
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Cerambycidae of the Western Paleartic I.
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There are also dung-feeding beetles in other families such as Geotrupidae (earth-boring dung beetles), but the majority belong to Scarabaeidae. The Scarabaeinae subfamily alone includes over 5,000 species that feed mainly on feces.
In summary:
Order: Coleoptera (beetles)
Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea
Family: Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles)
Subfamilies: Scarabaeinae (true dung beetles), Aphodiinae (small dung beetles)
Other dung feeders: Family Geotrupidae (earth-boring dung beetles)
Dung beetles are diverse, with different behaviors such as rolling dung into balls, tunneling dung underground, or dwelling directly in dung