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The scarab denoted in ancient Egyptian mythos is known now as the dung beetle, and it is part of a family of insects that encompasses 30,000 species[3]. Scarabaeidae is a massive family which includes june bugs, rhinoceros beetles and Japanese beetles as well[3]. Most scarabs are relatively monotoned, but some are brightly colored - coming to the edge of unnaturally metallic[3].
The classification for dung beetles is as follows:
To speak on dung beetles specifically - and, even more specifically, those that are 'rollers' (which roll the balls of dung - either for food storage or for hatching larvae - as the ancient Egyptians observed) - some have strong, 'toothed' legs that are used specifically to either roll their dung or to burrow[10]. Since these beetles do eat dung, they have soft mouthparts which help process their diet effectively[10]. They eat dung excreted both by herbivores and omnivores - but they prefer herbivore excretions[11]. Many dung beetles supplement their diet with mushrooms and decaying leaves and fruits - but outside of that, their diet is essentially nothing[11]. The larvae, laid in some balls of dung, feeds on the undigested plant fibers in it, but the adults don't bother with solid food. Their soft mouth parts are able to squeeze the juice from the manure, optimizing their diet[10,11]. There is one species of dung beetle that has very recently been discovered which has nearly foregone consuming dung entirely, though. Deltochilum valgum is a species that has actually evolved in order to consume millipedes instead of dung[2]. It has a plate on top of its head, as opposed to the parts that something like a wasp would have in its mouth, in order to chisel at its prey and kill it that way[2]. It has been found to decapitate millipedes as its main source of prey[2]. Dung beetles are one species that are holometabolous - meaning that they have a larvae, pupae and adult stage. The birthing and metamorphosis is completed after the new beetles emerge from the balls that were made by their parents.[11] Their balls themselves are the subject of conflict. When the beetle carves a ball of dung out of the excrement of their chosen animal, they roll it into a ball and try to bring it away from rival beetles as quickly as possible. The beetle has to fight many rivals, though, especially since some balls do have females attached to them, and it takes some beetles a lot to protect their ball and continue their legacy. [12] These beetles also have a very interesting habit that is the center of a lot of scientific research. At certain times while they're rolling their balls in their very straight lines, trying to get them away from the pile of dung so another beetle won't steal it, they actually climb up on top of the ball and 'dance' in a circle before climbing back down and resuming their path[13]. The Youtube video on the left side of this page shows exactly what they do in order to perform their dance. Studies have found that this behavior is to orient themselves before they start moving in their admittedly strange way - face to the ground, rear legs pushing the ball backwards[13]. They take their cues from either the sun or the stars, their poor vision giving them just enough information to take the paths that they need to take[13]. |