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Monday 11 April 2016

Onthophagus (Onthophagus) taurus (Schreber 1759) - The taurus scarab - Cyprus

Family: Scarabaeidae

Subfamily: Scarabaeinae













The taurus scarab (Onthophagus taurus) is a species of dung beetle in the genus Onthophagus.













Description
Onthophagus taurus can reach a length of 5.5–11 millimetres (0.22–0.43 in). These small beetles are oval shaped, the color is usually black or reddish-brown. Sometimes the pronotum has a weak metallic sheen. Males have on the heads a pair of long protrusions or horns (hence the species name) that they use to fight with each other to gain mating rights with females.Some males do not have horns, and therefore do not come into the fight, but have larger gonads. A similar dimorphism in males have been found in some other species (Ageopsis nigicollis, Podischnus agenor) . This adaption reduces direct competition with horned males. Onthophagus taurus can pull a weight of 1141 times its own body mass and is considered the strongest animal on earth on a body weight to lift ratio.















Distribution

This species is present in Europe, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Irak, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and USA.



Economic value
Dung beetles have been utilized in the breakdown of manure on sheep and dairy farms worldwide. In September 2013 O. taurus was released for the first time in New Zealand, in the Gore District of Southland. These beetles pull the manure into the ground to create their brood balls, which they use as egg chambers. This increases grazing space for cattle, reduces habitats for flies and bacteria, and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In Cyprus

In Cyprus the species occurrence is connected with the presence of free grazing animals, like at Akrotiri and Karpasia peninsula. In livestock farm areas, the species is facing reproduction problems, because of pesticides and parasiticides.

Photos at Akrotiri 10/4/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis. 

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