Typhaeus typhoeus Insect Coleopter Dung Beetle Earth-Boring Scarab

Typhaeus typhoeus Female cm 1.5-2.4 Insect Coleopter Dung Beetle Earth-Boring Scarab.
Common name: The Minotaur Beetle.
Syn. Scarabaeus typhoeus, Ceratophyus brunneus, Scarabaeus pumilus, Ceratophyus pusillus, Scarabaeus typhaeus, Typhaeus vulgaris.

Typhaeus typhoeus is a coleopter of the Scarabaeidae family, subfamily Geotrupinae, native to Europe and North Africa. The scarab is named after Typhon, a giant from Greek mythology.
Minotaur Beetles reach a length of between 15 and 24 mm. Their bodies are black and shiny, sturdy and dome-shaped. On the elytra there are longitudinal grooves with punctures. There are numerous small spines on each paw. The species clearly presents sexual dimorphism. Characteristic of males are three horn-like growths on the pronotum. The two outer protrusions are long, while the central one is short. The females, on the other hand, have some pointed humps.
The Minotaur Beetle lives in sandy, sunny areas of pine forests or sandy moors. They are rare elsewhere.
Beetles feed on the dung of herbivorous animals, especially that of rabbits and small ruminants such as sheep and deer. After mating, the animals dig a vertical tunnel in the ground about 1-1.5 meters deep, from which several lateral tunnels branch off and which ends in a chamber. The dung is brought into the chamber and is shaped into a ball. The female lays her eggs next to this, not directly on top of it, unlike most earth-boring dung beetles. Minotaur beetles are also active in autumn and winter, as long as the ground surface is not frozen. The larvae that hatch feed on the massive supply of stored dung. They pupate after a year.