About Coprophanaeus lancifer (Linnaeus, 1767)
Adults of Coprophanaeus lancifer are typically 28–56 mm (1.1–2.2 in) long, with an average length of 44 mm (1.7 in). They can weigh up to 10 g, which is heavier than a hummingbird. This makes C. lancifer and the closely related C. ensifer some of the largest dung beetles in the world, along with certain species in the genera Catharsius and Heliocopris, and the largest dung beetles in the Americas.
This species has a horn on the head, which is always larger in males than in females. However, this size difference is insignificant in small individuals. Because the sexually dimorphic horn is only clearly visible in large males, and only clearly absent in large females, C. lancifer has reduced sexual dimorphism compared to other species in its genus.
This species is widely distributed in the Amazon rainforest in South America, and occurs across Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. They are ground-dwelling beetles found mostly in terra firma habitats, and are less common in floodplain forests. A recent historical biogeographical study has recorded C. lancifer in forests of northeastern Brazil. This finding marks the first record of the genus Coprophanaeus occurring in large populations on this part of the South American continent. This record is particularly notable because Coprophanaeus beetles face severe threats from habitat fragmentation and agricultural expansion and urbanization in the broader Atlantic Forest region.
