Digitonthophagus gazella

Digitonthophagus gazella (common names: gazella scarab, brown dung beetle[1]) is a species of scarab beetle.[1][2] It belongs to the genus Digitonthophagus, which was promoted from subgenus to genus level in 1959.[1][3] There has been some confusion regarding the application of the names with many people using the outdated name Onthophagus gazella. Dung beetle experts use the term Digitonthophagus gazella.[4][5]

Digitonthophagus gazella
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Scarabaeidae
Genus:
Digitonthophagus
Species:
D. gazella
Binomial name
Digitonthophagus gazella
(Fabricius, 1787)
Synonyms

Scarabaeus gazella Fabricius, 1787
Onthophagus gazella (superseded) (Fabricius, 1787)

Its native distribution is Afro-Asian. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world in order to help remove cattle dung from pastures, with some introductions leading to naturalized populations.[4][2] Digitonthophagus gazella was introduced into Australia as part of the Australian Dung Beetle project in 1968.[6]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Onthophagus gazella.
  1. "Digitonthophagus gazella - Gazelle Scarab". Bugguide. Iowa State University. 2004–2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  2. 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 (2): 159–163. JSTOR 4008007.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Philips, T. Keith (11 April 2016). "Phylogeny of the Oniticellini and Onthophagini dung beetles (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) from morphological evidence". ZooKeys (579): 9–57. doi:10.3897/zookeys.579.6183. PMC 4829968. PMID 27110200.
  4. Génier, F.; Davis, A.L.V. (19 January 2017). "Digitonthophagus gazella auctorum: an unfortunate case of mistaken identity for a widely introduced species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini)". Zootaxa. 4221 (4): 497–500. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4221.4.8. PMID 28187655. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  5. "Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius, 1787)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  6. corporateName=National Museum of Australia; address=Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula. "National Museum of Australia - Dung beetles in Australia". www.nma.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-07-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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