#3208 · 🪲 beetles

Springtime Dung Beetle

🇳🇱 Voorjaarsmestkever ·Trypocopris vernalis

🪲 Beetles 📍 in the Netherlands

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Dr. Guido Bohne · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. © Jakob Fahr · CC BY-NC 4.0
3. © Jakob Fahr · CC BY-NC 4.0
4. © Jakob Fahr · CC BY-NC 4.0
5. Gelderland, 荷兰:© Zhaoqi Leng · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. 6718 Ede, Alankomaat:© Matti Brandon · CC BY-NC 4.0
7. 't Frusselt, Vierhouten, Gelderland, NL:© marcel000 · CC BY-NC 4.0
8. Apeldoornseweg, Arnhem, Gelderland, NL:© LuukKleisterlee · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. Leersum:© rob1961 · CC BY-NC 4.0
10. National park De Meinweg, Herkenbosch, Limburg, NL:© markusgmeiner · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

Trypocopris vernalis , known sometimes by the common name dor beetle or spring dor beetle , is a type of dung beetle. The larva of Trypocopris vernalis feeds on dung of animals such as sheep ( Ovis aries ) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ).

base stats

NL sightings 236iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 12,978iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 236 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #46 most seen of the beetles in NL.
12,978 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).

fact sheet

English: Springtime Dung Beetle
Nederlands: Voorjaarsmestkever
scientific name: Trypocopris vernalis
class: Insecta
order: Coleoptera
family: Geotrupidae
sightings in NL: 236
sightings in Europe: 9,623
sightings worldwide: 12,978
GBIF records in NL: 3,968
weight: —
length: —
lifespan: —
named: 1758

relatives· Geotrupidae

Sources: iNaturalist taxon 472829, Wikidata Q1472148, GBIF 1070887, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.