aphodius
|a-pho-di-us|
🇺🇸
/əˈfoʊdiəs/
🇬🇧
/əˈfəʊdiəs/
dung-beetle genus
Etymology
'Aphodius' originates from New Latin (taxonomic Latin), specifically the genus name 'Aphodius', which is a Latinized formation used in scientific classification.
'Aphodius' was established in entomological (Latin) taxonomy in the 18th–19th centuries as a genus name and has been retained as the modern scientific name for that group of dung beetles.
Initially coined as a taxonomic label, its use has remained as the scientific genus name 'Aphodius' for certain scarab/dung beetles.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of scarab beetles (dung beetles) in the family Scarabaeidae; used as a scientific (taxonomic) name.
Several Aphodius species are common in pastures and other dung-rich habitats.
Last updated: 2025/09/16 15:56