What family contains the true dung beetles called Scarabaeinae?

The family containing the true dung beetles called Scarabaeinae is Scarabaeidae.

In biological classification, Scarabaeinae is a subfamily within Scarabaeidae, the scarab beetle family. The subfamily includes many beetles commonly called true dung beetles because most feed primarily or exclusively on dung. The family itself is much broader and also contains rhinoceros beetles, flower chafers, and other scarabs.

Dung beetles are often grouped by how they handle dung. Rollers shape dung into balls and move them away; tunnelers bury dung beneath a dung pat; and dwellers remain inside the original resource. These behaviors help aerate soil, recycle nutrients, disperse seeds, and reduce breeding opportunities for some pests.

A common mix-up is treating “dung beetle” as a single family. It is an ecological and behavioral term, not a complete taxonomic rank. Some dung-feeding beetles belong to other groups, including Geotrupidae. Still, for the subfamily Scarabaeinae, the family answer is unambiguously Scarabaeidae.