Species Onthophagus taurus (Schreber, 1759)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Scarabaeus taurus Schreber, J.C.D. von 1759. Novae species insectorum. Halae : Schneider 16 pp. 1 pl. [7].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, locality unknown.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Palaearctic Region.

Introduced from Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IBRA

NSW, SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Flinders (FLI), Gawler (GAW), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), King (KIN), Mallee (MAL), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • South Australia: Murray-Darling basin, S Gulfs, SE coastal
  • Tasmania
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia: SW coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: coprophagous, diurnal, terrestrial, volant.

Larva: coprophagous.

Extra Ecological Information

Open areas, pastures, mainly cattle dung.

 

General References

Bornemissza, G.F. 1976. The Australian dung beetle project 1965–1975. Australian Meat Research Committee Review 1976: 1-30 (biological control)

Fincher, G.T., Stewart, T.B. & Hunter, J.S. III 1983. The 1981 distribution of Onthophagus gazella Fabricius from releases in Texas and Onthophagus taurus Schreber from an unknown release in Florida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 37: 159-163 (distribution)

Gillet, J.J.E. 1927. Descriptions de Lamellicornes Coprophages nouveaux. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Royale Belgique d'Entomologie 67: 251-261 (extralimital synonymy)

Wallace, M.M.H. 1986. Some macrochelid mites (Acari: Macrochelidae) associated with Australian dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Acarologia 27: 3-15 (mite symbiont)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)