Fauna
Insect

Rainbow Scarab

Phanaeus vindex

Also known as Rainbow Dung Beetle, North American Rainbow Scarab

Rainbow scarabs gleam with metallic shades of emerald, copper, and radiant gold, with mature males sporting a prominent backward-curving horn on the head. Unlike ball-rolling dung beetles, these industrious tunnelers dig vertical shafts directly beneath manure piles to cache brood balls deep underground. Mated pairs often cooperate during excavation, efficiently burying waste, cycling soil nutrients, and suppressing pest flies across open habitats.

IridescentDecomposerDiurnal
Rainbow Scarab reference1 / 7
"Rainbow Scarab" by thatredhead4 is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
—observations
—countries
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyMammal dung, Rotting fruit, Decomposing fungi
Predators
  • American Crow
  • Striped Skunk
  • Eastern Mole
ThreatsVeterinary antiparasitic residues in livestock dung, habitat loss, and pesticide use
HabitatsPastures, grasslands, open woodlands, and sandy fields
Life span1–2 years
Classification
  1. OrderColeoptera
  2. FamilyScarabaeidae
  3. GenusPhanaeus
  4. SpeciesPhanaeus vindex
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Harmless to humans and safe to observe at close range.
Responsible observation
  • Field Timing: Search open pastures, trails, and horse paddocks on warm, sunny spring and summer afternoons.
  • Watching Behavior: Look beside fresh manure piles to observe them actively excavating subterranean burrows.
Related species
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