The taxonomy and phylogeny of two related species groups of Mexican and Central American Onthophagus are considered. The dicranius group is composed of four species, including two new species, O. asperodorsatus and O. petenensis. The mirabilis group contains three species, one of these new, O. solisi. A fourth new species, O. quetzalis, shares characters with both species groups. All species in these groups are described and illustrated. A suggested phylogeny is presented. Our analysis indicates that these groups, including O. quetzalis, may be more closely related to Indo-Malaysian species than to other New World groups of Onthophagus.

Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) were pitfall trapped at two sites in southern Alberta from 1993 to 1995. A 3-year total of 156 500 specimens representing 17 species was collected. Local assemblages were dominated, in descending order, by the exotic species Onthophagus nuchicornis (Linné), Aphodius prodromus (Brahm), Aphodius distinctus (O.F. Müller), and Aphodius fimetarius (Linné). Aphodius vittatus Say was the most common native species. Although adults were collected from mid-March to mid-November, the activity of individual species either peaked in the spring and again in the fall, or peaked once in spring to midsummer. Maps showing the Canadian distributions for 15 of these species were compiled from examination of collections and published records and identify 10 new provincial records. Most distributions are transcontinental, with the distribution of O. nuchicornis likely expanding only in the last 20–30 years to include Alberta and Saskatchewan. Aphodius erraticus (Linné) and Aphodius ruricola Melsheimer have not been previously reported from British Columbia. Aphodius pinguellus W.J. Brown, Canthon praticola LeConte, and Aphodius coloradensis Horn are restricted to western Canada.

Trachycrusus, gen.nov., and two included species, lescheni sp.nov. and striatulus sp.nov., are described and figured from eastern Peru. Morphologically the genus bridges the gap between the highly modified ceratocanthine genera such as Scarabatermes Howden and the more typical genera such as Astaenomoechus Martínez and Pereira.