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Black Dung Beetle
Onthophagus sp
-37.8967, 145.31
Field Notes
Description:
A small uniformly black beetle about 15mm in length. The whole beetle looked stout and rounded with vertically ridged elytra and shiny thorax. On the thorax at the head end were two small protuberances.
The abdomen and thorax appeared to be edged with dense silvery setae (hair-like structures). The legs also had setae. The two pairs of hind legs had spinous processes at the junction of the tibia and tarsi.
The front pair of legs are flattened with serrations to assist with digging.
Habitat:
grasslands
Notes:
The dung beetle feeds on animal faeces. The spinous process at the ends of the hind legs suggest that the beetle might be a "roller" - rolling the ball of dung with its hind legs, gripping it between the spinous process and tarsi. The beetle then lays eggs in the dung ball where the larvae develop.
This female might be a female. Some female dung beetle have horns and they use this to fight other females for fresh dung !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dung_beetle
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