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25.01.2022 The video shows the intense activity of Onthophagus taurus (black beetle) along with some Euoniticellus fulvus (brown beetle) at a site in NSW near the Murray river in mid December 2020. Click the video for best viewing.

22.01.2022 While monitoring near Bega on the NSW south coast in early February we were amazed by the activity in some of the dung pats we had placed out. The video shows dung beetles destroying a dung pat that had been out for 210 minutes (3.5 hrs). It started as a neat mound in the centre of the plastic sheet. We collected just over 600 dung beetles in this dung pat. That's around 3 beetles for every minute the dung was exposed! Under these conditions bush flies would have little chance of successfully breeding.

19.01.2022 A great evening at a workshop in the Bega Valley with members of the Barrabaroo Catchment Area Landcare Group. The property we were on near Cobargo was badly impacted by bush fires in September 2019 and again in January 2020. Despite this, O. binodis (see photos) were active in most dung pats examined. Other dung beetles encountered in the region in significant numbers included Onthophagus granulatus and Aphodius fimetarius.

19.01.2022 Establishing a research site near Inverleigh in southern Victoria with Grace and Ronald fron Southern Famring Systems (SFS) and Graeme from Dung Beetle Ecosystem Engineers (DBEE). The information coming from these sites will help us quantify some of the ecosystem services that dung beetles provide. For example the impact the burial of dung has on soil chemistry and pasture growth.

17.01.2022 Have you ever wondered how fast dung beetles work? Watch these Onthophagus binodis work their magic. Thanks to @dungbeetleinnovations for this great insight into the workings of the beetles. ... Length: 0.40 See more

15.01.2022 Location is everything in real estate, and it appears dung beetles think so too. While monitoring along the south coast of NSW near Bega we encountered what must be considered prime real estate by Onthophagus binodis. In an unremarkable 14 km stretch of grazing country we set 3 identical traps, using the same quantity of dung from a common source. The traps were set within 20 minutes of each other and collected just over 4 hours later. Despite all things appearing equal, ...in one dung pat we captured 159 Onthophagus binodis, while the traps either side of it (5.5 and 8.5 km away) contained only a single Onthophagus binodis between them. The dung pat was so densely populated that it was moving (see video). Why were the beetles in this location and not the others nearby? Perhaps it’s the view! See more

14.01.2022 Onthophagus granulatus (the granulose dung beetle), is the featured beetle and is a native species to Australia. They are active from spring through to autumn and are common in the eastern states, ranging from Victoria up to northern Queensland. It was introduced into New Zealand in the 1870s and has established there. They are small brown beetles (6-8 mm in length) that are active during the day and are one of the few native species that are abundant in cattle dung, where t...hey are capable of rapidly burying large quantities. Their bodies are covered with short hairs that helps dung stick to them and when captured the beetles frequently have dung clumped to them. Features that will help you identify the beetles include the granular appearance of the elytra (wing coverings), and the four short ridges on the pronotum, the middle pair angling towards each other creating a V shape. Like many beetles in this genus (Onthophagus) differentiating a male from a female is quite easy. Major males of O. granulatus have the front of the head (the clypeus) strongly reflexed, appearing like someone has bent it up. In contrast female beetles have heads with two prominent ridges running across them, one between the eyes and the other slightly below the eyes. [the beetle is quite small so a small hand lens or magnifying glass might be needed to easily see the features]

13.01.2022 A recent field day at Beeac in Victoria’s Western District saw participants come to learn about dung beetles that occur in their region. With samples collected by staff at Southern Farming Systems on hand we were able to look back over the last 6 months and get an idea of the diversity present. Dung beetles identified included Aphodius fimetarius, Bubas bison, Euoniticellus fulvus, Onitis aygulus and Onthophagus taurus. This significantly broadens our knowledge of beetle diversity in the region and is good news for sheep and cattle producers seeking diversity and abundance to rapidly breakdown and bury dung. Thanks to Mingawalla Agriculture, Upper Barwon Landcare Network and Southern Farming Systems for making the day a success.

13.01.2022 More news on Australia's newest dung beetle (imported) species. ABC Rural "A new north African species of poo-eating dung beetle has been imported into Australia to fill seasonal and geographic gaps and help livestock producers improve pasture health and productivity ... We are trying to find species that will give farmers the potential to rid their pastures of dung all seasons all year around" Full article:... https://www.abc.net.au//new-dung-beetle-species-i/12796616 Meat & Livestock Australia Mingenew Irwin Group Charles Sturt University The University of Western Australia Dung Beetle Solutions International Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research CSIRO Dung Beetles in South Western Australia

09.01.2022 When walking in the paddock, it's worth checking under the crusty remains to see how effective your dung beetles are. This is a great insight by @dungbeetleinnovations, documenting the process the Onthophagus binodis beetles take over a 3 day period. Length: 0.37

07.01.2022 With the Covid restrictions being eased DBEE staff members Graeme and Russ seized upon an opportunity to present a workshop and visit producers at several sheep studs in south west Victoria. While beetle abundance was starting to wane with the onset of autumn there was still good activity, with Onthophagus taurus and Euoniticellus fulvus observed munching their way through the sheep dung. Thanks to South West Prime Lamb Group, Cashmore Park, Summit Park and Chrome Sheep Studs for the chance to visit and look around the properties.

07.01.2022 Did you know? #6 Christmas beetles are closely related to dung beetles. When we classify living things there is a hierarchy that groups them, based on how similar they are. This hierarchy can be viewed as a triangle with eight major levels. As you move down from the top level you become more specific. For example, all animals belong to the domain called Eukarya, but not all Eukarya are animals. ... The domain Eukarya has four Kingdoms; animals, plants, fungi and protists (e.g. algae, such as seaweed). Back to the beetles. The Christmas beetle, Anoplognathus chloropyrus, and the dung beetle, Onitis alexis, only diverge at the second last level, Genus. They both belong to the same family (Scarabaeidae commonly called scarabs) of beetles (Coleoptera). So if you look at a dung beetle and think it has a family resemblance to a Christmas beetle, there is a good reason for it. Merry Christmas.

04.01.2022 Did you know? #7 Sisyphus is the name of a figure in Greek mythology and also a genus of dung beetles. Sisyphus was the king of Corinth in Greek mythology and was punished by the Gods for being deceitful and cheating death. His punishment was to roll a large stone up a hill for eternity. Sisyphus is also a genus of dung beetles that makes a ball of dung and then rolls it away from the main pat in order to breed. In Australia there are two species in this genus, they are Sisyphus rubrus and Sisyphus spinipes. The names rubrus and spinipes both derive from Latin, where rubrus means red, while spinipes means spiny footed. These species are common throughout eastern Queensland and north eastern NSW.

03.01.2022 Geotrupes spiniger is the featured beetle and is an introduced species to Australia. The native range of this beetle is broad, from Europe through the Middle East. It was a French strain that was introduced into Australia, with the first release occurring around Cootamundra (NSW) in February of 1980. G. spiniger is a large black beetle (20-25 mm in length) that flies at dusk and dawn and is active from spring through to early winter. The underside of this beetle has a charac...teristic metallic blue/purple colour. While the colour means that you will not mistake G. spiniger with any other species in Australia, it is not easy to distinguish a male from a female beetle. The most reliable method we have found is to compare the teeth on the front tibia. If the 3rd tibial tooth (from the front) is longer than others and points slightly backward, then it is a male. By contrast, the female has a 3rd tibial tooth which is noticeably shorter than the 2nd tooth and points down, without a backward angle. [thanks to Dr Aga Thotagamuwa for tips on determining the sex of these beetles] See more

03.01.2022 Consignment of 40,000 dung beetles lands in NT courtesy of SOILCAM (The Dung Beetle Expert). Great to see the demand for dung beetles increasing around Australia. Queensland Country Life "There's a great deal of interest in dung beetles and orders are increasing all the time. More and more farmers are becoming aware of the benefits that dung beetles produce and want increased dung burial throughout the year." John Feehan (SOILCAM)... Full article: https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au//dung-beetles-t/