The Ancient Egyptians have given us a lot of symbols to wonder about. I could never understand, for example, why the Israelites worshiped a golden calf until I learned while traveling in Egypt that a particular bull was worshiped by the Egyptians, and the Israelites were just copycats. Another symbol that needs explanation is the scarab beetle. The ancient Egyptians considered the scarab beetle to be a symbol of the sun. Although I’m sure this explanation is simplified beyond recognition, it’s still interesting to think of a scarab beetle, and specifically a dung beetle, being related to the sun. A ball of dung represented the sun, and a giant dung beetle was tasked with rolling the sun across the sky every day. We still have dung beetles, of course, but we don’t allow them such a lofty position in the cosmos. Maybe we should, since without them, dung would pile up to cover everything.
Scarab beetles are a whole family of beetles that include dung beetles, June beetles, rhinoceros beetles, chafers and flower scarabs. The characteristic that makes them all scarabs is their antennae. Scarab beetle antennae have little plates on the last three to seven segments of the antennae which can be spread out like a fan or closed up like a club. The beetles spread the fans out to capture chemical signals about their environment, especially regarding mating or food. The sensing bits on the antennae are very sensitive and perhaps a bit fragile. The beetles fold up the fan part of the antennae when they aren’t actively using them.
Dung beetles are found throughout the world wherever there is dung. Bison and elk used to roam over Owl Acres, leaving feasts for the dung beetles. The beetles in turn cleaned up after the large herbivores. We don’t have any bison or elk wandering around these days, but we do have deer, so presumably dung beetles are still doing their job on Owl Acres if on a smaller scale.
Meanwhile, dung beetles are excellent helpers in pasture where cattle graze and in manure piles. They’re classified as rollers, tunnelers, or dwellers. The dwellers live in the manure piles. The tunnelers dig tunnels and carry the dung down into the tunnels where they lay their eggs. It’s the rollers that sparked the imaginations of the Egyptians. These beetles make balls of dung that may weigh ten times as much as the beetle itself. The beetles roll the dung balls away from the source. They roll the balls in a straight line, regardless of obstacles.
While they’re rolling these relatively giant balls, the beetles may find themselves upside-down or backwards to keep the ball moving. At the same time, they still have to keep the lines straight. Scientists believe that they use the light in the sky to navigate. This may be the light from the sun, moon and stars, or it may be the gradient of light rather than specific celestial objects. Whatever the case, they do navigate using the light in the sky.
When the beetles reach their nests, they bury the balls of dung. Then the female lays her eggs in the dung balls, one egg per ball. Her children will have plenty to eat as they grow. When the eggs hatch, the mother dung beetle may guard and protect the nest until the larvae pupate.
The presence of dung beetles is very beneficial to the soil and to the larger creatures that live on it. First of all, they make the dung go away, recycling the nutrients. This not only feeds the beetles, but it also buries food that would otherwise feed pests such as flies and parasitic worms. Their digging aerates the soil, allowing oxygen to reach the soil fauna. And, obviously, they clean up after cattle and deer.
Unfortunately for us, dung beetles are not fond of dog poop, so we still have to police the dog yard.
Photo from Wikimedia.org by Paul from United Kingdom Alt text: Photo of a sculpture by Wendy Taylor on a masonry base at the London Zoo. One broad, disc-shaped beetle handles a ball of dung 10 times its size, while another perches on top. This public installation follows modern accessibility practice, common in cities in Europe. They’re becoming more so in the US.