Coprini is a tribe of scarab beetles, in the dung beetlesubfamily (Scarabaeinae). Scholtz et al.[1] describe them as tunnellers that are shiny black, of moderate to large size (9–30 mm long) and with a strongly convex shape. They also, however state that the grouping based on these characteristics has little phylogenetic validity, and the placement of several genera in this and related tribes is likely to change.[1]
Taxonomy
This tribe comprises more than 900 species in 21 genera:[1][2][3]
Most species are nocturnal. They are predominantly coprophagous, but some are necrophagous. Dung is rapidly buried in shallow tunnels and then used for nest construction in deeper tunnels.[1]
References
^ abcdScholtz, Clarke H.; Davis, Adrian L. V.; Kryger, Ute (2009). Evolutionary biology and conservation of dung beetles. Sofia-Moscow: Pensoft Pub. ISBN978-954-642-517-1.
^"Coprini Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-01-06.