Dung Beetle Facts—Discover Why This Beetle Is So Important
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The dung beetle is among the world's smallest and most competent recyclers. For this very important reason, these beetles are promoted and even introduced to places where they are absent.
Why "Dung Beetle"?
The dung beetle received its name due to its diet. It eats feces, which makes it part of the coprophage family of organisms. They're a necessary part of our planetary ecosystem. Without them, we might be knee deep in manure by now!
Nature uses the beetles to recycle carbon and minerals back into the soil so that they can be used by other soil organisms and, eventually, plants. This makes them an important part of a healthy nutrient cycle.
By removing manure, they're also an efficient biological control for horn flies and intestinal parasites of livestock. The eggs of these pests are destroyed before they can hatch.
It's important to remember that these beetles are not destructive at all! They only benefit us and our agriculture (whether it's a large livestock operation or a small homestead).
Three Groups
Dung beetles are separated into 3 groups according to how they use the dung:
Rollers roll the dung into balls and bury them in the ground.
Tunnellers bury their dung balls in mines in order to place their eggs in them. These beetles are recognized for their skillfulness in relieving cattle farms of potentially contaminating waste by taking it underground.
Dwellers live in the dung
They move dung with their hind legs. Many of the larger beetles are unbelievably strong, moving dung that is as much as 50x their weight.
The Dung Beetle in Action
Watch this outstanding video from National Geographic about an African species of dung beetle.
