Sulcophanaeus is a genus of dung beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae.

Most species in this genus are from tropical and subtropical South America, but a few are found in Central America and Mexico, and S. carnifex is from Jamaica (no other Phanaeini is found on an oceanic island).

They are paracoprids, meaning that adults dig tunnels into the soil under the food source and move parts of the food source to a nest chamber where the eggs are laid, and their activity pattern (diurnal / crepuscular / nocturnal; year-round / seasonal) varies depending on species.

[1] Sulcophanaeus comprises five species groups (faunus, carnifex, auricollis, imperator and menelas) and about 15 valid species:[2] Adult Sulcophanaeus are generally 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) long with some variations in exact size range depending on species, but the common Amazonian S. faunus usually is 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) and sometimes even larger.

Especially the males tend to have a long curved horn on the top of the head and may also have outgrowths of various kinds on the pronotum.