Dung beetles are fascinating creatures that play a vital role in our ecosystem.
As their name suggests, these insects are known for their behavior of collecting and rolling dung, which serves as their primary food source.
Belonging to the scarab beetles family, dung beetles are stout, oval-shaped, and possess clubbed antennae with feathery segments that can be pressed tightly together or fanned open.
These tiny workers offer significant benefits such as improving soil quality and nutrient recycling by burying dung and digging tunnels.
Furthermore, they help reduce parasites and assist in secondary seed dispersal, thereby maintaining a healthy and functional ecosystem.
Dung Beetles: Overview
Dung beetles are remarkable insects that play a crucial role in ecosystems by feeding on and burying animal feces.
They come in various species, sizes, and colors, but they all share the common behavior of using dung as a food source and breeding ground.
Dung beetles help break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, and improve soil quality. Their activities also reduce the population of flies and parasites, benefiting both plants and animals.
These industrious insects possess a keen sense of smell to locate dung, and they shape it into balls for consumption or lay eggs within it.
Habitat
Dung beetles inhabit a diverse range of environments globally, from tropical forests to arid deserts. They thrive in grasslands, savannas, and even urban areas.
These beetles are found on every continent except Antarctica. In Africa, they play a vital ecological role in cleaning up the vast expanses of savannas.
South America’s rainforests host numerous species that aid in nutrient recycling.
Europe and North America also have their own dung beetle populations. Some species even reside in Australia’s unique landscapes.
These industrious insects exhibit remarkable adaptability, showcasing their importance in maintaining ecosystem health worldwide.
Diet
Dung beetles primarily feed on feces, a diet that serves ecological and agricultural significance.
They consume both solid and liquid portions of dung, breaking it down into smaller particles.
This process not only recycles nutrients back into the soil but also helps control fly populations and reduce parasite transmission.
By feeding on dung, dung beetles contribute to healthier pastures and ecosystems.
Different species prefer dung from specific animals, ensuring a varied diet and niche specialization within ecosystems.
This feeding behavior showcases the essential role these insects play in maintaining a balanced and sustainable environment.
Life Cycle
Dung beetles exhibit a fascinating reproductive and life cycle that’s tightly linked to their role as decomposers and ecosystem engineers. The life cycle of a dung beetle involves distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Egg Stage: Female dung beetles lay their eggs within dung balls they’ve crafted from fresh feces.
These balls serve as both a food source and protective shelter for the developing larvae. The size and type of dung used can vary based on the beetle species.
Larval Stage: Once the eggs hatch, the larvae consume the nutrient-rich dung ball. As they feed, they undergo multiple molts, growing in size.
This larval stage can last from a few weeks to several months, depending on environmental conditions and species.
Pupal Stage: After the larval stage, the beetle forms a pupa within a hardened cell made from soil and dung. During this stage, the beetle undergoes metamorphosis, transforming into its adult form.
Adult Stage: The fully developed adult emerges from the pupa and must work its way out of the soil. Once emerged, the beetle begins its vital role in the ecosystem.
Dung beetles engage in behaviors like rolling and burying dung balls for consumption or breeding sites, helping to disperse nutrients and aerate the soil in the process.
Reproduction among dung beetles involves intricate behaviors and adaptations.
Mating typically occurs near dung sources, and competition for mates and resources can be intense.
Some species exhibit elaborate courtship rituals or engage in combat to secure mating opportunities.
The life cycle and reproductive strategies of dung beetles vary among species, depending on factors such as habitat, climate, and available resources.
Danger To Humans
Dung beetles are not dangerous to humans. They primarily feed on dung, aiding in waste decomposition and nutrient recycling in ecosystems.
While some dung beetles can have sharp horns or mandibles used for competing with other beetles or digging, they are not aggressive toward humans and do not pose any threat.
In fact, their ecological role is beneficial, contributing to soil health and agricultural productivity.
Dung Beetle Adaptations
One of the biggest adaptations of Dung Beetles to their environment is of course the ability to process waste material for various uses.
They are well equipped for this purpose:
- Their antennae are able to detect the scent of excrement from quite far off.
- Their legs are designed to be sticky as well as sharp so that they can use them to grip, dig, and push dung.
How They Process Dung
Dung beetles can eat feces both in the larval stage as well as fully grown adults.
In general, they prefer the dung from omnivores and herbivores, which has higher nutrition since it is less digested.
While the adults suck on the liquid part of the feces, the larvae use up the solid material, thus ensuring that no part of the waste goes to waste (pun intended).
Some species have adapted to even eat the feces of carnivores.
Types of Dung Beetles
Scientists classify dung beetles in three parts, based on the role they play during reproduction: dwellers, tunnelers, and rollers.
- Dwellers lay eggs on top of manure piles, where larvae hatch and develop.
- Tunnelers create tunnels and egg chambers in the soil beneath dung, with both parents involved in caring for the larvae.
- Rollers, the most intriguing group, form dung into balls, offering them to females.
Why Do Rollers Roll Dung?
Roller dung beetle females lay very few eggs during their lifetime, so the way they stay and protect their eggs is an important aspect of their survival.
The rolled dung ball offers several advantages to their offspring and themselves, including:
- Nourishment and Protection: The dung ball that the male beetle forms and rolls contains a valuable food source for both itself and the female. This dung ball offers sustenance as the female prepares to lay her eggs.
- Nesting Site: By burying the dung ball in the soil, roller dung beetles create a secure and nutrient-rich environment for their developing offspring. The dung ball serves as a protective chamber for the eggs and later for the developing larvae.
- Escape Rivals: Rolling dung helps the male beetle avoid confrontations with other males that might try to steal the dung ball. This behavior helps the male secure his investment and ensure his reproductive success.
- Avoid Parasites: By removing the dung from the open environment, roller dung beetles can reduce the risk of parasitic infection for their offspring. Parasites that target dung-feeding insects are less likely to reach the buried dung ball.
- Energy Efficiency: Rolling dung in a ball is more energy-efficient than attempting to consume the entire dung on the spot. This allows the beetles to transport the dung to a suitable location for nesting while conserving energy.
- Orientation: Researchers believe that roller dung beetles use the position of the sun or moon to navigate while rolling the dung ball, which helps them move in a straight line away from the dung source and potential competitors.
Conclusion
In summary, Dung Beetles are amazing creatures. These insects roll dung balls to secure nourishment and create protective nesting sites for their eggs.
By burying dung, they avoid rivals and parasites while conserving energy. This adaptation showcases their remarkable ability to navigate and survive in their environment.
These behaviors not only highlight the beetles’ resourcefulness but also emphasize their crucial role in nutrient cycling and ecosystem health.
31 Comments. Leave new
Those are dung beetle mounds and we see them all the time. The soil here is very sandy with clay beneath that in a lot of areas. The beetles seem to like thinly grassed areas more so rather than spray try planting grass seed or sod. Even with as many mounds as you have spraying is hardly necessary.
Ya, pestcemetery, now that I understand what I’m dealing with I will no longer spray. My original concern and why I started spraying was based upon being misinformed by this property’s previous owner who told me they’ve a problem with mole crickets, which I understand can be quite destructive.
Then I got confused when exploring the mounds and using soapy water to bring up the bugs, as I wasn’t finding mole crickets but these beetles.
Then even while realizing I wasn’t dealing with crickets but with beetles, in researching them early on it looked like they eat roots which causes defoliation. But now with Paul’s information, I’m comfortable hosting this colony here.
And of course I’m very proud to have been selected as whatsthatbug’s first bug of the month for 2010. Finally, my 15 minutes of fame, courtesy of (a) dung (beetle).
lol-
There are lots of bugs you’ll get to enjoy (and not) in our state. I always come here when I’m stumped and Paul is another gold mine it looks like.
Welcome to Florida, it’s great to have you as a neighbor!
Great posting! As a fellow Floridian, I see these beetles regularly. I have very sandy soils and lots of Oaks as well. Its great to have so much information. Thanks again for an awesome webpage!!!
i have these mounds near my house in the spring, and yes the soil is sandy, but i live in the middle of new york! i’ve never seen a beetle like that.
not a bess beetle. this is phileurus valgus, a scarab.
Thanks for the correction.
I yhink this is the scarab type beetle I was looking for. I had one on my drape by the slider and it was black, shiney, and huge. I live in ocala florida and the grass here is sparse and soil is sandy. My question is, how did it get in my house? It’s not like you wouldn’t see this thing, it was about 3 inches around
Live in Ocala. Have a huge mound of sand that appeared, literally, OVERNIGHT in our yard. Did not see any “bug” type thing around it. Can you tell me what it might be. Not fireants, I know what they are. I see these sandy, huge mounds along the road in uninhabited areas. Just trying to identify it.
Late to reply to this, just now scanning various pages. There are many animals that make mounds in any given area. In the Ocala area there are many pocket gophers, Geomys pinetus, a rodent that lives underground that makes large mounds from its burrow digging. It is another interesting native of Florida that is having a difficult time due various factors, and regularly is pushed onto roadsides to survive. While the mounding is unsightly and can cause problems to mowers, and the rodent feed on plant roots and shoots, they are a vital part of a healthy sandhill ecosystem. They recycle leached nutrients up to the plants in their mounds, the mounds are also used by a large variety of other animals and plants as nesting or germination site, and their burrows host an entire fauna of other animals that live no where else. I’m glad you recognized these were not fire ant mounds!
I know this is about a year and a half later but I live in South Africa and we have bettles very similar to this in almost every garden that feed on Acacias. They’re called African fruit beetles or Pachnoda sinuata. The markings differ a little but it strikes a close resemblance.
Hi Michael,
The Pachnoda sinuata we found on the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums website does bear a striking resemblance to the Sun Beetle we have posted. We have already determined that the genus is the same as the name you provided, but we are not prepared to commit to an actual species designation for the individual posted on our site.
Dear Author,
I am writting for request your permission for use the dung beetle picture in my presentation, which will be presented in a internal meeting.
Best regards,
Marcos.
Good Evening Marcos,
We will grant you the permission to use imagery from this posting for your internal meeting. Please mention What’s That Bug? if appropriate.
Dear Author,
I am writting for request your permission for use the dung beetle picture in my presentation, which will be presented in a internal meeting.
Best regards,
Marcos.
Plenty of these in my Cape Town garden . They hatch from small pods in my compost heap . I’m also trying to find a name for them and an article on the life cycle .
This isn’t a scarab. It’s a hister beetle of the genus Saprinus (http://www.australiancritters.com/photos/insects/beetles/round-green-hister-beetle-saprinus-cyaneus.jpg.html; https://australianmuseum.net.au/image/hister-beetle-from-genus-saprinus). These beetles feed on blowfly larvae on dead and decomposing animals.
Thanks for the correction. We will update the posting.
I believe this is actually a clown beetle in the genus Saprinus rather than a scarab, although they do look very similar
Thanks for the correction. We will update the posting.
Thanks for the info. I just noticed a plethora of mounds with small hole in the center. Happened to watching a tv program on Dawson bees whose mounds resembled what I have. But believe I have the scarab instead as I have deep sand, oaks and spare grass under camphor trees. Thanks again
If you look closely you will notice that the mounds of scarab beetles, particularly the deep digger, invariably reveal their access tunnel entrance is at the base of the mounds, not in the center. A wonderful resident beetle to have in your yard!
Hello!
I found this beetle in my garden. I live on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. I have an image of the beetle but I can’t seem to upload it as an attachment.
You may submit images by using the Ask What’s That Bug? link on our site.
Hello!
I found this beetle in my garden. I live on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. I have an image of the beetle but I can’t seem to upload it as an attachment.
So the bottom line is there is no way to get rid of these mounds caused by beetles. So tired of comments made by people what wonderful bug you have in your lawn. My lawn looks terrible with these mounds of sand turning up over night. I want these bugs dead. Maybe finding there access hole and pouring 5 gallons of gasoline down the hole will do it. 10 pounds of pesticide have done nothing. If you don’t have a solution to this problem why are you people even posting.
We do not provide extermination advice. See this old posting from our archives.
Just get an armadella, guaranteed it will root out and eat them. But be willing to accept the holes!
Dear Author,
I am writting for request your permission for use the dung beetle picture in a chapter of the book about mites and beetles,
Best regards,
You may use the images on this posting for your publication. Please credit photographer Mary Thorman of Costa Rica and that the image is provided courtesy of http://www.whatsthatbug.com.
Dear Author,
I am writting for request your permission for use the dung beetle picture in a chapter of the book about mites and beetles,
Best regards,