The larva hatch and eat the dung as they grow to full size. It is fun to watch them work hard rolling along.
Dung beetles live in the ground, where they burrow tunnels and bury the dung ball close to wherever they found it, They create balls from dung of animals that are herbivores (plant eaters, such as elephants or giraffes) or carnivores (meat eaters, such as lions or leopards). If it is from an herbivore, burying the balls helps spread seeds and enrich the soil, too!
Dung beetles do not have to eat or drink anything else, because the dung provides all the moisture and nutrients they need. They have a keen sense of smell, which helps them locate fresh dung. They are strong insects that can pull over one thousand times their weight. The daily dung of an elephant can support 2,000,000 beetles. Some species of dung beetle can bury 250 times their own mass in one night.
The nocturnal African beetle is one of the few known invertabrate species that uses the Milky Way to navigate themselves. Another type of beetle uses patterns found in moonlight.
The beetles are used as bioindicators from fires, floods, and extreme drought, as the enviroment returns to an improved state. They have been imported to different countries and areas to help revitalize areas, such as abandoned mines or help manage the waste from livestock.
