Catharsius is a genus of Scarabaeidae or scarab beetles. It contains about 100 species of intermediate to large size (15–50 millimetres or 0.59–1.97 inches), black or brown, living in the tropical areas of the Old World. Tropical Africa contains about 85 species, with the remaining 15 in tropical Asia. Catharsius are typically short and convex scarabs, with horns on head and forebody of males, sometimes also of females. Recently, the name “Catharsius” has been selected by a team of entomologists working on dung beetle fauna of Western Africa.