Geotrupidae (from
Greek geos , earth, and
trypetes, borer) is a
family of beetles in the
order Coleoptera. They are commonly called
earth-boring dung beetles. Most excavate
burrows in which to lay their eggs. They are typically
detritivores, provisioning their nests with leaf litter (often moldy), but are occasionally
coprophagous, similar to
dung beetles. The
eggs are laid in or upon the provision mass and buried, and the developing larvae feed upon the provisions. The burrows of some species can exceed 2 metres in depth.
