When I did my Field Guide Course with EcoTraining, it was in October. And one animal you will encounter a lot in the warmer months is the dung beetles. Dung beetles appear in many variations, differing in size, shape and colour, for example. Some of them are relatively small and have a beautiful, shiny green cover. Others are bigger, creating a relatively loud sound while flying and have a black armour-like appearance. South Africa has around 780 different species of dung beetles. Reason enough to find out more about them.
The four groups of dung beetles
The dung beetles in South Africa can be divided into four different groups. Only one of them, the “telecoprids”, form balls out of the piles of dung and roll them into their underground tube system where they live. Another group lives and breeds inside the dung; they are called the “endocoprids”. The “paracoprids” bury the dung directly under the piles. And the fourth group, the “cleptoprids”, steal the dung balls from the telecoprids, as the name already suggests.
The purposes of the dung balls
Focusing on the group that rolls the balls with a lot of dedication and precision, one might wonder: Why are they doing this? And like most things in nature, this behaviour plays a vital role in the survival of the species. On the one hand, the ball can be a “brood ball”. A male dung beetle rolls the ball. Afterwards, a female dung beetle climbs onto it and lays a single egg inside it before burying the ball underground.
After the larvae hatch, they feed on the dung before pupating within the ball and transforming into the adult beetle. The bigger the ball, the stronger the offspring. Another reason for rolling balls of dung is to impress the female beetles. These balls can also be called “nuptial balls”. The male beetle gives it to the female as a gift before mating takes place. Afterwards, they eat the dung ball together.
The ecological role of the dung beetles
From an ecological point of view, the dung beetles also have an essential role within the ecosystem. By decomposing the dung and burying it underground, the nutrients within are returned to the soil faster and made available again, for example, for seeds to germinate or for new plants to grow. Also, by breaking down and decomposing the dung, the eggs of parasites that may be present in the dung are destroyed. Consequently, the number of flies, for example, that can be a pest in large numbers is reduced. Furthermore, the tunnel system that some species create underground helps loosen up and aerate the soil.
The joy of watching dung beetles
They say there is never a dull moment in the bush, and dung beetles may be one reason for that. Some of the beetles can even be seen dancing on their dung ball. Scientists were able to show that the beetles dance for orientation, using the position of the sun, explaining why the dung balls are rolled directly to the dwelling tube without any major detours. During my Field Guide Course with EcoTraining, we also studied the dung beetle species in the theory lessons and spent a lot of time watching and observing them out in the bush, and as a result, I got to know and like them better.
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An African Dream | 55-day Field Guide course
We met with Tere Abumohor after completing her EcoTraining 55-day Field Guide course. Adventurous, vibrant with a zest for life! Having a dream of coming to Africa, she joined EcoTraining’s 55-day Field Guide course, and today she is very proud of being able to guide in Africa. She is passionate about filming her adventures and sharing them with the world. Loving life and experiencing the African bush was a great adventure! Watch Tere in this video as she describes what the 55-Day Field Guide course meant to her.
