dung beetle question

[Immortal_sin]

I guess all my friends now think I know everything about every insect and arachnid, since I keep tarantulas!
Well, one of them called today, and wanted to know about dung beetles...where can she get some?
Apparently, a friend of hers has some in her manure pile, and since my friend keeps horses, she wants some of her own.
I didn't think that dung beetles were native to here, or that they could survive in our climate, apparently I'm wrong?
Anyone have any imput on this?

 

[Brian S]

I didn't know that they were in Oregon but we have them here in Missouri. Is your friend wanting to keep them? I actually saw a care sheet on them somewhere. I think the adults eat fruits and the dung ball they make is to lay an egg in for the larvae to eat.

 

[Immortal_sin]

well, she wants to start a colony, or whatever you call it, in her manure pile!
I didn't know if they were indigineous to this area, as it wouldn't be ethical or nice to release a non native beetle. I guess that is what I was asking..if they occur here in Oregon, and if anyone knows where she can get some...

 

[Wade]

There are many different dung beetles, wherever there's dung, there's probably a local species of dung beetle eating it! Dung beetles are scarabs, the second largest family of beetles, and lots of them eat dung.

She should be able to collect them locally, sometimes they fly to lights at night and are easily recognized by their stout, bulldozer-like bodies and shovel-like front legs. She could also do it the hard way, and walk around a cow/horse pasture and inspect the fresh piles. I've even seem them go after dog feces!

A pitfall trap might work as well, bury a large coffee can up to its lip and suspend a little bundle of cow or horse manure (wrapped in gauze) over the middle. Sometimes this will attract them.

Wade

 

[Immortal_sin]

Wade...thanks alot...I had no idea that they were so many places
I'll have her try the coffee can idea..
If they are that numerous, I'm surprised they haven't found her manure pile already!

 

[Wade]

They probably have and she hasn't noticed them yet, or else they've already left by the time she shovels it into the pile. Most species go after fresh manure, roll up a big ball which they then roll a considerable distance from the pile, lay an egg in it and bury it. If her plan is to get the pile to dissapear faster, it probably won't work, as they don't take that much at a time.

I was told by a very well known coleopterist that the absolute BEST beetle bait for a pitfall trap is HUMAN feces! It makes sense, after all we eat such a varried diet that our waste probably contains "a little something for everybody" so to speak. I'm pretty hard core about collecting, but I haven't tried this yet

On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't be throwing out my daughters' dirty diapers...

Wade

 

[Elizabeth]

Aaahhhhhhhhhh

 

[Immortal_sin]

They probably have and she hasn't noticed them yet, or else they've already left by the time she shovels it into the pile. Most species go after fresh manure, roll up a big ball which they then roll a considerable distance from the pile, lay an egg in it and bury it. If her plan is to get the pile to dissapear faster, it probably won't work, as they don't take that much at a time.

I was told by a very well known coleopterist that the absolute BEST beetle bait for a pitfall trap is HUMAN feces! It makes sense, after all we eat such a varried diet that our waste probably contains "a little something for everybody" so to speak. I'm pretty hard core about collecting, but I haven't tried this yet

On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't be throwing out my daughters' dirty diapers...

Wade

EEK!!! that's more info than I probably even wanted! <giggle>
I doubt she'll want to try that either!!
thanks! (I think!)

 

[Malhavoc's]

In the name of science?.....lol

 

[xelda]

I thought that they keep the dung ball in their burrows and ate the fungus that grew on the dung ball, not the dung itself.

 

[Wade]

I thought that they keep the dung ball in their burrows and ate the fungus that grew on the dung ball, not the dung itself.

There may be some beetles that do that, but dung scarabs eat the dung, especially the larvae.

Wade