Bug FAQGazelle Scarab
Digitonthophagus gazella · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Also called: Brown Dung Beetle, Gazella Dung Beetle, Gazelle Dung Beetle
The gazelle scarab, also called the brown dung beetle, is a dung-feeding beetle that was moved from its Afro-Asian home to many other regions to help clean cattle pastures. There has been confusion over its scientific name, with many people still using the older name Onthophagus gazella.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Common names are gazelle scarab and brown dung beetle.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Introductions for dung removal have sometimes led to naturalized populations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been introduced to many parts of the world to remove cattle dung from pastures.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
People often use the outdated name Onthophagus gazella for this species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is Afro-Asian.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Many people still apply the outdated name Onthophagus gazella to this beetle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Georgia, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Why was the gazelle scarab introduced to new areas?
It was brought in to help clean cattle dung from pastures, and some introductions have resulted in the beetle becoming naturalized.
Source: Wikipedia
What are the other names for this beetle?
It is also known as the brown dung beetle.
Source: Wikipedia
Is the name Onthophagus gazella still correct?
Many people still use the outdated name Onthophagus gazella for this species.
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/Digitonthophagus_gazella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.