Waste Not - Want Not - Page 2
© Debbie St. Germain
Would you believe that the dung balls are made by the males to entice a bride? That's right; the male dung beetle makes a giant ball of dung with his oversized pincers to attract a mate. Once he impresses a female she will jump onto the top of the ball, which is 50 times her size; then the male beetle will roll the ball with his bride into an underground nest. There the female will lay a single egg into each ball of dung. Once the egg hatches, the larva can feed on the dung ball.
To show you how efficient the dung beetles are: let's say there was three pounds of elephant dung dropped on the ground. Because of the dung beetles, that pile will be cleared within two hours. That's fast! In England, the dung beetle is an important part of their farming. One cow can produce seven tons of dung a year, so you can imagine how much a whole herd leaves. This manure is rapidly removed by the dung beetle, which leaves the fields clear of dung.
These are just two species of beetles. As I said at the beginning, there are over 300,000 types of beetles, all of which play a role in the ecology of our earth. Visit the links within the text to learn more about the tortoise beetle and the dung beetle or one of the thousands of other beetles that inhabit our world.
My new site: Quizville Fun quizzes to help in school, games, study tips, research and a special section for younger students. If you would like to see a topic covered, mail me, and I will make up a quiz to help you learn or study for that next exam.
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