Rhinoceros Dung Beetle

Rhinoceros Dung Beetle

Oxysternon conspicillatum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tambopata National Reserve

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

5 Verified sightings at Tambopata National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
40 In all 3 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rhinoceros Dung Beetle

Oxysternon conspicillatum is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in both evergreen and semi-deciduous mesic forests, including disturbed habitats, ranging from near sea level to an altitude of 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in the Amazon basin and Chocó of tropical South America and Panama, possibly extending as far west as the border region with Costa Rica. Both adults and young of this common and widespread beetle primarily feed on dung, but the species has also been recorded feeding on dead animals.

O. conspicillatum has been studied as a potential source for antimicrobial agents, with the possible use of its host defense peptides in the development of new antibiotics. Adult O. conspicillatum have a length of 1.6–3.1 cm (0.63–1.22 in). The species exhibits some sexual dimorphism; large ("major") males have a large black horn on their head and two spikes on their pronotum while females' lack these. However, small ("minor") males are more female-like in their appearance, with the smallest essentially lacking a horn and pronotum spikes.

The species typically is metallic green, but occasionally it can be metallic dark blue or blue-green. Blue individuals... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
2 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
3 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rhinoceros Dung Beetle in Tambopata National Reserve?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rhinoceros Dung Beetle sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 111th most-seen of the 141 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rhinoceros Dung Beetle in Tambopata National Reserve?

June–August and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rhinoceros Dung Beetle in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–May, the lowest months. Those are among Tambopata National Reserve's driest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 420 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Rhinoceros Dung Beetle?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rhinoceros Dung Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Tambopata National Reserve the best place to see a Rhinoceros Dung Beetle?

Among the best

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Rhinoceros Dung Beetle sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 10%) and Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Rhinoceros Dung Beetle live in Tambopata National Reserve?

Same family: Scarabaeidae

The closest relatives of the Rhinoceros Dung Beetle that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are Enema pan (about 10%) and Canthon luteicollis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rhinoceros Dung Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rhinoceros Dung Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Tambopata National Reserve (5 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.

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