Typhaeus typhoeus

Description

Typhaeus typhoeus (minotaur beetle) is a species of earth-boring dung beetles native to Europe. The beetles feed on faeces of herbivorous animals, preferably rabbits and small ruminants such as sheep and deer. They inhabit sandy soils in light pine forests or sandy heaths . The animals have now become rare and are protected in Germany. The adult beetles are rarely found, the open, circular, approximately 1 cm large entrances of the housing and brood chambers, which are found on vegetation-free soil sites, are much more striking. It is named after the Typhon a giant of Greek mythology.