A forest cleaner at work
Phelotrupes oshimanus yukiae
Coleoptera / Family: Geotrupidae
- Total length
- approx. 15-25 mm
- Range
- Tokunoshima
As a dung beetle, it gathers around the feces of Ryukyu wild boars and Amami rabbits, as well as animal carrion. In the diorama, it can be seen feeding on the feces of the Amami rabbit.
Its body is entirely black, and compared to its close relative, P. laevistriatus, it has a weaker metallic sheen. This is the largest member of the genus Phelotrupes in Japan.
It inhabits mountain forests where Ryukyu wild boars and Amami rabbits are found, as well as adjacent grasslands.
Habitat of This Animal:
B:Forest along the mountain ridge - B2:Deep forest
As time passes from the felling of trees, trees in the forest will grow taller and thicker. Tall trees like Castanopsis, a representative tree of forests in Tokunoshima Island, form the forest canopy. Different layers of plants are formed beneath it, including medium-to-small trees and bottom weeds, and the forest floor becomes gradually darker. Through such a process, the forest will become deeper, supporting the fauna of Tokunoshima Island.
This B2:Deep forest