Coprini
Coprini is a tribe of scarab beetles, in the dung beetle subfamily. Scholtz et al. describe them as tunnellers that are shiny black, of moderate to large size and with a strongly convex shape. They also, however state that the grouping based on these characteristics has little phylogenetic validity, and the placement of several genera in this and related tribes is likely to change.
Taxonomy
This tribe comprises more than 900 species in 21 genera:
Genera
These genera belong to the tribe Coprini:Canthidium Erichson, 1847Catharsius Hope, 1837 Chalcocopris Burmeister, 1846 Copridaspidus Boucomont, 1920 Copris Geoffroy, 1762 Coptodactyla Burmeister, 1846 Dichotomius Hope, 1838 Heliocopris Hope, 1837 Holocanthon Martínez & Pereira, 1956Holocephalus Hope, 1838 Isocopris Pereira et Martínez Litocopris Waterhouse, 1891 Macroderes Westwood, 1876 Metacatharsius Paulian, 1939 Ontherus Erichson, 1847 Parachorius Harold, 1873Pseudocopris Ferreira, 1960 Pseudopedaria Felsche, 1904 Synapsis Bates, 1868Thyregis Blackburn, 1904 Xinidium Harold, 1869
Ecology
Most species are nocturnal. They are predominantly coprophagous, but some are necrophagous. Dung is rapidly buried in shallow tunnels and then used for nest construction in deeper tunnels.