Reproduction
S. stercoraria will breed on the dung of many large mammals, but generally prefer fresh cow pats. The operational sex ratio on these pats is very male biased and competition is high. Females are small and have limited pre-copulatory choice. Copulation lasts 20–50 minutes, after which the male will attempt to guard the female from other males. Both males and females will often mate multiply. Reproductive success depends on a variety of factors, including sperm competition, nutrition, and environmental temperature
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