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Beetle dung is a rather useful insect that undeservedly is considered harmful. You can distinguish it by the large chest, heavy body and classic dung balls in the kit. The insect belongs to the family of excavators, spends most of its life under it.
Appearance
Of all the lamellas this species is distinguished by a special physical strength and endurance, the oval body is covered with a shell. Depending on the species differ in parameters, the length of the insect varies from 3 to 7 mm. Beetle dung on the photo looks very beautiful, since its elytra have a metallic luster with different colors (brown, yellow, green or black).
The color of the abdomen is constant - a violet-blue hue. The upper jaw of the carrion has a rounded shape. Antennae in an insect with eleven segments are covered with a short fuzz. Their ends are twisted into heads with three branches. The abdominal shield is strewn with several dots. Each individual elytra is provided with fourteen furrows. The beetle weighs about two grams.
Beetle Beetle Behavior
This useful insect is of great use to the earth, loosening and saturating it with oxygen. In the process of processing manure, the beetle rolls it into balls and sends it to its mink, where it decomposes into organic constituents, which also contributes to soil fertilization, increased yield and improved sanitation. situation.
This species of beetles prefers a temperate climate, there are rare specimens that have adapted to arid conditions. The main thing for insects is a sufficient amount of food for adult beetles and larvae. The only areas unsuitable for settlement of dung beetles are the territories of the Far North.
Species of dung beetles
Currently, there are two predominant varieties of dung beetles:
- Coprophaga.This group includes beetles with a large chest plate and powerful shins of the front paws, which allow beetles to fully implement digging activity. There are species with characteristically distinguished sexual characteristics.
- Ateuchus (Scarabaeus).The most significant distinctive feature of this group is that their eyes are bifurcated, and the head shield is a semicircle. The dimensions of the largest individuals do not exceed 4 cm. The most common in southern Europe and in northern Africa.
The difference between the first and second groups is that the beetles of the first group have a closed skin type on the upper lip and jaw, while in the second they are firm and open.
Reproduction and larvae
According to the cycle of development, the beetle-bug almost does not differ from other analogues. The larva is similar to a worm with legs, an adult insect appears as a result of pupation. To feed the larvae, the beetle rolls manure into balls, inserts each into a separate chamber and attaches an egg to it. This provides the baby with food for the entire period of development.
Larvae feed on manure from 3 months to a year, which is prepared by parents, while their feces accumulate in a kind of pouch. In the spring, the larvae grow and turn into pupae, and after a while adults come out of them. The appearance of the larvae is a thick, clumsy body with powerful jaws.
Benefit from a beetle
The usefulness of the dung beetle is told by the instructive story that occurred in Australia during the reign of European colonists. With the importation of a large number of domestic animals into the territory of the country, pastures on which she grazed, quickly lost nutritional value. Experts have found that because of the layer of manure, the grass did not break through to the surface.
In the process of processing manure, the beetle rolls them into balls and sends them to their mink, where they decompose into organic components, which also contributes to soil fertilization, oxygen saturation, increased yield and improved sanitation situation.
The dung beetles were not in those lands at that time. Scientists-entomologists selected several species of dung and launched them on the continent. The ecological catastrophe, the economic problem and the national tragedy were prevented.
The dung-man benefits, it should not be confused with the May bug.
Feed of the bug beetle
Formation of the larva of the dung can take place from 3 months to several years, because manure has a huge amount of useful and nutritious substances. Some individuals continue to be in the bowl of manure, even taking the form of a beetle, until the development of a full-fledged organism is complete.
After that, the man gets out on the ground and begins to look for his own food. The sparrow prefers horse manure or excrement of cattle, in the absence of the first. Moves in search of food mostly in the evening. Along with this, some types of beetles can eat not only manure, but also mushrooms with detrites, and there are others that do not feed at all.
The further life of adult beetles
The life of an adult beetle stops as soon as a suitable place is found for further reproduction. Two beetles tightly seal the entrance and begin to lay eggs, with which they will exist during the entire length of the remaining life. The male and the female die about a month after they start laying eggs and guarding offspring, as they sit in the burrow without being able to get food and feed themselves.
