Dung beetle - this name was given to the insect due to its addiction to manure. The insect feeds on manure, which is usually located away from its home. The family of the same name includes 4 species of beetles, namely lamellar, aphodia, geotruppy, or true dung beetles, as well as scarabs.
Beetles do their work during the day, so scientists have always wondered how they manage to overcome such a long journey under the scorching sun that the dung beetle overcomes. White day in the desert, heat, the sand heats up to 60 degrees, and the beetle does not tolerate overheating. How does this happen? The answer is simple: the advantage of such beetles is that they are constantly on the move and still carry "air conditioners" with them. When its body temperature rises and becomes critical, the dung beetle crawls out onto its dung ball and cools down by 7 degrees in just 10 seconds.
The male and female of these beetles live together and live together, they always help each other, even in such a difficult situation as laying eggs, insects work together. The construction of nests in these creatures is considered one of the most responsible processes, because each future dung beetle must live in isolation. Beetle larvae live separately from each other, and each has food in its cell. The larvae also feed on manure. And over time, they will also become earners.
Despite their appearance, these beetles are excellent fliers in search of food. It is not difficult for them to find food, because they have an excellent sense of smell. As soon as the food is found, the beetle chooses a prettier and larger piece and tries to hide it from competitors. You have to hide in the ground, in a pre-dug hole.
Parental concerns of dung beetles are very peculiar. Adult insects emerge from their burrows by the end of summer and start preparing their feeding burrows. Then the mink is filled with food supplies. Food minks are filled directly by the owner - the dung beetle. A gray autumn day allows the beetles to roam freely, because they love moisture and coolness, and even on such a day you can meet your mate. And despite the fact that the mating season is not soon, the beetles have not parted since the day they met.
Stocks of insects are very diverse. This is not only animal droppings, but also rotten leaves, and small flowers, and seeds, and small fruits. All stocks are now produced together by the married couple. The male basically becomes the getter, while the female processes the delivered food. Processing is considered to be the addition of a female and male litter to the available stocks and rolling the mass into lumps, in which the process will later take place.fermentation. After the onset of spring, the couple has intercourse. By this time, the balls of provisions have already fermented, and the female divides them into small circles, from which she makes bowls. She puts the testicles in the bowls and closes the lids. After that, the female does not leave her hole, caring for her offspring, and the male dung beetle constantly supplies the whole family with food.
As you can see, despite the unattractive name, this beetle is a very interesting insect.
