Rainbow Scarab

Natural Habitat

Found in pastures, meadows, and areas with mammalian dung across the Eastern and Central United States.

Diet & Feeding

Coprophagous; they primarily feed on and utilize mammal feces, especially from cattle and horses.

Behavior Patterns

Diurnal tunnelers that roll and bury pieces of dung in underground chambers to use for egg-laying and larval feeding. Females lack the large cephalic horn seen in males.

Risks & Benefits

Highly beneficial to ecosystems as they help dispose of waste, recycle nutrients into the soil, and reduce populations of flies and parasites that breed in dung.

Identified on: 2/25/2026