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By: Tasneem Johnson-Dollie
When you think of a dung beetle, a busy black bug scampering across bumpy terrain is probably what springs to mind. But there are actually many different types of dung beetle.
There are so many beetles that they’re thought to make up around 25% of all life on Earth. That means one in every four lifeforms is a beetle!
And these interesting insects make up a good part of this group. But unlike other beetles, they have a very specific way of getting things dung – yes you read it right. Here are some dung beetle facts that you’ll wish you knew sooner.
You might think that a dung beetle is a pretty straightforward bug, but these interesting insects outshine all the rest when it comes to dealing with dung. Let’s take a closer look at what could be the most interesting insect in the world.
Original photo: “Onthophagus seniculus” by LennyWorthington is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
If you haven’t yet guessed what a dung beetle eats, it’s dung.
While their favourite food might seem foul to us, they’re actually quite picky about their choice of poo.
In fact, it nearly caused a dung disaster in Australia in the 1900s.
The Australian dung beetles’ preference for marsupial poo meant that they wouldn’t clean up after any other animals.
This manure management problem was solved by introducing foreign dung beetles to the mix, getting them to munch on what the local bugs left behind.
Original photo:“Scarab Beetle God” by Topi_Pigula is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Many dung beetles eat the dung of herbivores, some crave the poop of carnivores, and others favour decaying leaves and fungi.
So yes, some of these beetles don’t eat dung at all.
But these interesting insects are still classified as dung beetles. This is because they’re part of the group of bugs that eat away at the manure and decay that would otherwise clog up our ecosystems.
Dung is made up of solid waste with liquid in between, with these interesting insects favouring the nutrient-rich liquid of the dung.
Herbivores don’t fully digest all their food. This means that their dung is swimming with nutrients and microorganisms for beetles to feed on.
This explains why many a dung beetle has a hankering for herbivore manure. But dung is more than just a delicacy for these beetles.
Original photo: “dung beetle crawling” by Steve Slater is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Dung beetles can live almost anywhere in the world. They’re found on every continent except Antarctica.
The reason they’re found all over is because dung is found all over. And this steamy sustenance also serves as their humble abode.
But how does a dung beetle make a home out of such a stinky substance? Interestingly, this is what splits dung beetles into different categories.
With more than 5,000 different types of dung beetle, getting to know more about them can be a tough task.
Scientists have divided dung beetles into four different categories according to how they deal with their dung.
Despite their decisions on dung management, these different types of dung beetles do have a lot in common.
Each day the animal kingdom produces enough dung to match the amount of water falling over the Victoria falls. The different types of dung beetle all work together to take care of this torrent of detritus. Without the collective efforts of these tiny creatures, we’d be sitting with a seriously smelly situation.
But what’s interesting about them besides their ability to stop our planet from being overrun with poop?
For one, dung beetles form part of some of the most fascinating stories in human history.
From as far back as the ancient Egyptians, dung beetles have been part of mythical stories. This beetle was held in such high regard by the Egyptians that they believed a dung beetle rolled the sun through the sky as if it were a giant ball of dung.
The face of the Egyptian sun god Kephri was even depicted as a scarab – another name for a type of dung beetle found in Egypt.
While science has since proven that the sun isn’t propelled by a dung beetle, there are still many dung beetle facts that are simply fascinating.
Original photo: “Beetle Dung Beetle” by Peggychoucair is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Here are ten things you may not have known about these interesting insects:
Possibly the most interesting insect in the world, the dung beetle can teach us all a thing or two about cleaning up and caring for the Earth.
Sign up with Bushwise Field Guides and learn more about the different types of dung beetle in these waste-removing wonder bugs’ natural environment.