About Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius, 1787)
Digitonthophagus gazella, commonly called the gazella scarab or brown dung beetle, is a species of scarab beetle. It is classified in the genus Digitonthophagus; this taxon was elevated from subgenus to full genus rank in 1959. There has been persistent confusion over the correct scientific name for this species, and many people still use the outdated synonym Onthophagus gazella. Dung beetle specialists currently accept and use the valid name Digitonthophagus gazella. This species is native to the Afro-Asian region. It has been intentionally introduced to many other regions around the world to help remove cattle dung from pastures, and some of these introductions have resulted in established naturalized populations. In 1968, Digitonthophagus gazella was brought into Australia as a component of the Australian Dung Beetle project.
