Coprophanaeus lancifer
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Coprophanaeus lancifer is a large species of beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles). Adults typically are 28–56 mm (1.1–2.2 in) long, with an average length of 44 mm (1.7 in). They can weigh up to 10 g, which is heavier than a hummingbird. This makes C. lancifer and the closely related C. ensifer some of the largest dung beetles in the world (together with certain Catharsius and Heliocopris) and the largest in the Americas. This beetle has a horn on the head that is always greater in size in males than females. However, this difference in size is insignificant in small individuals. Because the sexually dimorphic horn is only obviously present in large males and only obviously absent in large females, C. lancifer is characterized by its reduced sexual dimorphism compared with other species of the genus.
It is found widely in the Amazon rainforest in South America and can be found throughout Venezuela, French Guina, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. They are floor dwelling beetles that are mostly found in terra firma habitats and less commonly found in floodplain forests.
Coprophanaeus lancifer beetles have been... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Dung Digger sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 49th most-seen of the 366 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Dung Digger in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to January, the lowest months. That is one of Manu National Park's wettest months, with about 250 mm of rain against 60 mm in August.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Dung Digger sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Manu National Park, in our data
Manu National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Giant Dung Digger sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Scarabaeidae
The closest relatives of the Giant Dung Digger that you can see in Manu National Park (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are Enema pan (about 30%), Rhinoceros Dung Beetle (about 10%) and Coelosis biloba (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Dung Digger is recorded against all the insects logged in Manu National Park (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
