Copris

a genus of beetles of the family Scarabaeidae. The body is black and measures 1.5–4 cm in length. The male has a horn on its forehead; the female, a small tubercle. Most species are found in the tropics. There are three species in the USSR. Copris hispanus, which measures 2–3 cm long, is distributed in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and Middle Asia. The species C. lunaris, measuring 1.5–2.2 cm long, inhabits the southern European USSR (extending to the forest zone). C armeniacus is 2–3 cm in length; it is found in Armenia. The adults and larvae feed on cattle and horse dung. The female burrows under a pile of fresh dung, forming a wide den at the end. She brings the dung into the burrow, forming it into pear-shaped lumps. She lays her eggs in the lumps.