| Ceratocanthus aeneus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Universe | Real Life | ||
| Aliases | Round Fungus Beetle Shining Ball Scarab Beetle Sphaeromorphus volvox | ||
| Classification | Ceratocanthus aeneus | ||
| Species type | Pill Scarab | ||
| Homeworld | Earth | ||
| Environment | Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica | ||
| Intelligence | Non-Sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Discovered | 1819 | ||
| Discoverer | William Sharp Macleay | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Reproduction | Sexual; lays eggs | ||
| Average length | 5 mm (0.02 ft) | ||
| Locomotion | Beetle-like movement | ||
| Distinctive features | Can roll up into a ball | ||
| Eye color | Black | ||
| Skin color | Iridescent green with red underside | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Cultural information | |||
| Alignment | Neutral | ||
| Personality | Easily domesticated | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Earth | ||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Eumetazoa | ||
| Infrakingdom | Bilateria | ||
| Superphylum | Ecdysozoa | ||
| Phylum | Arthropoda | ||
| Subphylum | Hexapoda | ||
| Class | Insecta | ||
| Subclass | Pterygota | ||
| Infraclass | Neoptera | ||
| Superorder | Endopterygota | ||
| Order | Coleoptera | ||
| Suborder | Polyphaga | ||
| Infraorder | Scarabaeiformia | ||
| Superfamily | Scarabaeoidea | ||
| Family | Hybosoridae (Scavenger Scarabs) | ||
| Genus | Ceratocanthus | ||
| Race | aeneus | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Data Deficient | ||
| First sighting | 1819 | ||
The Shining Ball Scarab Beetle or Round Fungus Beetle (Ceratocanthus aeneus) is a small species of pill scarab indigenous to the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica. They are notable for their ability to curl themselves into a nearly perfect ball as a defense. Their ecology is currently largely unknown, however adults can be found on the bark and branches of dead trees as well as on fungus.