Heliocopris (large dung beetles) is a genus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea.[2][3][4] Forty-seven of the fifty-two known species are found in Africa,[3] but a few are found in southern and southeast Asia.[5]
Heliocopris includes some of the world's largest dung beetles (their size only rivalled by certain Catharsius and Coprophanaeus), with H. anderson, H. colossus, H. dilloni, H. dominus, H. gigas and H. tyrannus reaching up to about 7 cm (2.8 in) long, although a more typical size for the members of this genus is 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in).[6] They are generally black or dark brown beetles where males tend to have horns on their head or pronotum, which females lack.[6] Some are associated with the dung of elephants, rhinos or hippos, but there are large variations among the species in the genus and dung from other animals, like domestic cattle or monkeys, is also used. The female lays her eggs in a tunnel she digs under the excrement.[6]
Species
The genus Heliocopris includes the following species:[7]
^They have also been placed in the tribe Dichotomiini, but Montreuil places them in Coprini. Montreuil, Olivier (1998). "Analyse phylogénétique et paraphylie des Coprini et Dichotomiini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Scénario biogéographique". Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 34 (2): 135–148. doi:10.1080/21686351.1998.12277767. S2CID82053231.
^"Heliocopris" Nomen.at, Dictionary of Common (Vernacular) Names
^ ab"Heliocopris" Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Pokorný, Svatopluk; Zídek, Jiří and Werner, Karl (2009) Giant dung beetles of the genus Heliocopris (Scarabaeidae) Taita Publishers, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, ISBN978-80-902734-0-5
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