Meet Patrick Urban: The German dung beetle specialist who found a new species

PC: University of Nebraska–Lincoln From university laboratories in Germany to beetle specimens collected from dung in China, Patrick Urban’s career has focused on insects that are easy to overlook. The German biologist specialises in dung beetle taxonomy and ecology, with particular attention to the Onthophagini group found across the Palearctic and Indomalayan regions. His work involves comparing specimens, studying fine physical differences and determining where they belong in the existing scientific classification. That careful approach led to an unusual discovery.While examining beetles recovered from dung washings in Yunnan, Urban encountered specimens that did not match any known species. Further comparisons confirmed that the beetles represented a previously undescribed species. The finding was formally published in 2026, adding a new species to the scientific record and highlighting what can still be uncovered in natural history collections.How Patrick Urban became a specialist in dung beetle taxonomy and ecologyAs reported by University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Urban's route into this specialised corner of biology began with university studies in phylogenetics and taxonomy at ...