Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)Dung Beetles Index Digitonthophagus gazella Euoniticellus intermedius (Northern Sandy Dung Beetle) Euoniticellus pallipes (Southern Sandy Dung Beetle) Onitis alexis Onitis viridulus Onthophagus australis Onthophagus dandalu (Dung Beetle) Onthophagus declivis (Dung Beetle) Onthophagus ferox (Western Dung Beetle) Onthophagus neostenocerus

Onitis alexis is commonly known as the Bronze Dung Beetle. They have a green/coppery pronotum, with light brown wing covers. Both the male and female have a ridge midway between eyes and front of the head. The female has a distinct bump at back of head.

Onitis alexis (Bronze Dung Beetle), Alice Springs NT
Onitis alexis (Bronze Dung Beetle), Alice Springs NT

The difference between aygulus and alexis – This is Onitis alexis. Major male. ♂︎♂︎ Onitis aygulus is unlikely to be found so far north as Alice Springs. And prefer a mediterranean climate. Perth, Adelaide, Albury etc. And is approx. 20% large than O.alexis. The single spur on the hind ‘femur’ in the O. alexis males is definitive. Versus a double spur on the hind ‘femur’, in O. aygulus males. O. aygulus does range further south than O. alexis in the southern states. Eg. In WA, O. alexis does not range further south than Harvey. Whereas O. aygulus is found all the way down to Middlesex and Mt. Barker (WA).1

Onitis alexis (Bronze Dung Beetle), Alice Springs NT
Onitis alexis (Bronze Dung Beetle), Alice Springs NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Suborder: Polyphaga
  • Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea
  • Family: Scarabaeidae
  • Subfamily: Scarabaeinae
  • Tribe: Onitini
  • Genus: Onitis
  • Species: Onitis alexis

Footnote & References

  1. Many thanks to John Allen for ID and the difference between O. alexi and O. aygulus, member of Australasian Beetles Only, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
  2. Many thanks to Greg Ferret for ID, member of Australasian Beetles Only, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
  3. Onitis alexis Klug, 1835, Bronze Dung Beetle, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Onitis alexis
  4. Species Onitis alexis Klug, 1835, Australian Faunal Directory (AFD), https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Onitis alexis
  5. Onitis alexis, Dung Beetle, Ecosystem Engineers, https://www.dungbeetles.com.au/species/onitis-alexis

Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)Dung Beetles Index Digitonthophagus gazella Euoniticellus intermedius (Northern Sandy Dung Beetle) Euoniticellus pallipes (Southern Sandy Dung Beetle) Onitis alexis Onitis viridulus Onthophagus australis Onthophagus dandalu (Dung Beetle) Onthophagus declivis (Dung Beetle) Onthophagus ferox (Western Dung Beetle) Onthophagus neostenocerus

ScarabaeidaeBisallardiana Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Neospades sp Lycidae Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Tenebrionidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus

InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub