# Rainbow Scarab (*Phanaeus vindex*) The Rainbow Scarab is a colorful beetle that shines in the sunlight! It loves to roll balls of dung, which helps keep the environment clean and healthy. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Rainbow Scarab](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/RainbowScarab.jpg&width=800) Photo: Sebastian Eder, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RainbowScarab.jpg) ## Appearance The Rainbow Scarab is a stout, oval-shaped beetle with an astonishingly iridescent shell that shimmers through metallic green, blue, purple, and coppery-red hues. Males possess a distinctive, curved horn on their head, setting them apart visually from the hornless females and many other duller-colored dung beetles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Scarabaeidae - **Genus:** Phanaeus ## Interesting facts - A Rainbow Scarab can bury a huge dung ball faster than you can tie your shoelaces! - Male Rainbow Scarabs fight like tiny gladiators, locking horns to win the best dung prizes! - Their dazzling colors aren't paint, but special light-bending structures in their shell! - They are nature's ultimate recyclers, turning animal waste into healthy soil for plants! ## Special abilities - **Super Roller:** Rainbow Scarab can roll dung balls over 50 times its own body weight because of its powerful legs, helping it secure food and protect its eggs. - **Dung Detector:** Rainbow Scarab can locate fresh animal droppings from over a mile away because of its super-sensitive antennae, helping it find food quickly. - **Expert Excavator:** Rainbow Scarab can dig deep, elaborate tunnels underground quickly because of its specialized shovel-like head and legs, helping it bury dung and hide its young. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 10-22 mm - **Lifespan:** 60-120 days - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Rainbow Scarabs are amazing detritivores, eating and burying animal waste to keep ecosystems clean! - **Primary Foods:** Horse dung, Cattle dung, Deer dung, Omnivore dung - **Foraging Method:** Scavenging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — Feeds on and buries dung from cattle. - **Eats:** [Horse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/horse) (*Equus caballus*) — Consumes and recycles horse droppings. - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Occasionally preyed upon by foraging birds. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Can be a food source for opportunistic raccoons. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch insects without asking an adult first, as some can bite. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Rainbow Scarab? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Rainbow Scarab? 10-22 mm ### How long does Rainbow Scarab live? 60-120 days ### What does Rainbow Scarab eat? Rainbow Scarabs are amazing detritivores, eating and burying animal waste to keep ecosystems clean! ### Where is Rainbow Scarab usually found? Grasslands ### How does Rainbow Scarab hunt? Scavenging ### How many legs does Rainbow Scarab have? 6 ## Where to spot - [Hartwell Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hartwell-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Secessionville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/secessionville-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Cairo Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cairo-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District - [Fort Defiance](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-defiance) — Illinois, US · Historic Site - [Franklin Street-College Avenue Residential Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/franklin-street-college-avenue-residential-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Matanzas State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/matanzas-state-forest) — Florida, US · Forest [View all places to see Rainbow Scarab](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/rainbow-scarab) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Rainbow Scarab: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-scarab)