Aphodius rufipes

This species is a very dark brown or even blackish dung beetle. There are other similar species and certain identification requires detailed examination. If we cannot be certain that an image is Aphodius rufipes but it is likely to be this species, it is highlighted in a red box.

Gardens, pony paddocks etc. It is a very regular visitor to gardens. Although feeding in Cow or Horse dung, these beetles fly great distances at night to find new food sources, and regularly turn up around outside lights in gardens, well into towns away from potential sources of food. After their initial crash into the light source, they are most often seen crawling on the ground beneath the light.

Peak is late summer and autumn

Dung-feeder on droppings of Cows and Horses, both as adults and larvae.

Widespread and common in Britain.

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 93 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.