Bug FAQAtaenius strigatus
Ataenius strigatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Adults are tiny, measuring about 3.8 to 5.5 mm in length. They have a shiny black, elongate-oblong body and reddish-black legs. These beetles are commonly found in cow dung across many U.S. states, parts of Canada, and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle’s body is shiny black and elongate-oblong, with usually reddish-black legs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Specimens have been collected in cow dung.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Individuals have been found feeding in cow dung.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Life stages have been collected in cow dung.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Dakota, Michigan, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where might I find Ataenius strigatus?
You’ll often find them in cow dung, especially in areas across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Scarabaeidae)
Japanese BeetlePopillia japonicaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Green June BeetleCotinis nitidaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Phyllophaga crinitaPhyllophaga crinitaDamages trees, gardens or crops
European Rose ChaferCetonia aurata
Mediterranean Spotted ChaferOxythyrea funestaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Oriental BeetleExomala orientalisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataenius_strigatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.