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 viridulus, commonly known as the Emerald Dung Beetle, was introduced to Australia, being released in Northern Territory, Queensland and northern New South Wales between 1976 and 1980. One of the more successful introduced dung beetles, it is now found through most of eastern Queensland, in the northern NT, north-east WA and in the far northeast of NSW.

Onitis viridulus (Emerald Dung Beetle), Petrie QLD © Tony Eales
Onitis viridulus (Emerald Dung Beetle), Petrie QLD © Tony Eales
Onitis viridulus (Emerald Dung Beetle), Petrie QLD © Tony Eales
Onitis viridulus (Emerald Dung Beetle), Petrie QLD © Tony Eales
Onitis viridulus (Emerald Dung Beetle), Petrie QLD © Tony Eales
Onitis viridulus (Emerald Dung Beetle), Petrie QLD © Tony Eales
  • 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 viridulus

Footnote & References

  1. Onitis viridulus, Photographs © Tony Eales
  2. Many thanks to Andras Szito and Vrata Noviny for ID, members of the Australasian Beetles, Only, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
  3. Onitis viridulus Boheman, 1857, Emerald Dung Beetle, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Onitis viridulus
  4. Onitis viridulus, Dung Beetle Ecosystem Engineers, https://www.dungbeetles.com.au/species/onitis-viridulus
  5. Onitis viridulus, Dung Beetles of Eastern NSW, FaunaNet, https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/aus_museum/dung_beetles/key/onitis/Media/Html/oviridulus.html

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

ScarabaeidaeScarabaeidae Index Bisallardiana Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles) Schizognathus compressicornis

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Aporocera speciosa Atractocerus crassicornis Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Christmas Beetles Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Lycidae Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles) Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhinotia haemoptera 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