Warwickshire Beetle ID & Info

[mnk]

Hi there,

We found this beetle in a woodland in Warwickshire this afternoon and were interested about what it was.

There were a large number of these beetles dead on the footpaths (including the one in the picture, it was dead when we found it) and some alive. A few days ago we didn't see a single one on our walk.

We came across a some small holes on the side of the footpath where these beetles seemed to be burrowing? We stopped to watch them go back and forth from the surface down into the hole.

Any information would be great, thanks in advance!

imgur.com/gallery/MizVGsw

[Paul K]

It is a dung beetle, possibly Geotrupes stercorarius but I am not familiar with Coleoptera so I could be wrong with the species name.

[Entomofou]

Probably Anoplotrupes stercorosus