Bug FAQBoreocanthon simplex
Boreocanthon simplex · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Boreocanthon simplex shows a lot of variation in shape and colour, more than its close relatives. It lives from low valleys up to high mountains across western North America, from southern British Columbia down to central Baja California. It eats many kinds of animal dung and also feeds on dead animals.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
This species varies widely in appearance, which may actually represent several distinct species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It can be found from below 300 m to above 3 000 m elevation.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It also consumes carrion.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to western North America. Its range extends from the Rocky Mountains westward, reaching southern British Columbia in the north and central Baja California in the south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, Montana, Utah, Colorado.
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
Same family (Scarabaeidae)
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Phyllophaga 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/Boreocanthon_simplex
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.