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I am so glad to hear the beetle was probably not real, it sure looks it, stunning job whom ever did it.... and I'm amazed, show's you, never too old to learnsomething new. At least I feel better 'bout getting one for myself next time!
thanx!!!

@Jay I saw those in the shops recently and must say that to me it looks like the real thing. The company I work for also import some resin items but I've never seen anything that good, especially on the colour/paintjob of the item. IMHO they are real.
If they are harvested dead or alive though, I can't say.

I am going to be the eternal optimist and believe they are harvested dead. BUT I think I'l leave buying any more though, just in case....!

unfortunately, the beetles are all very very real. and were more than likely harvested live from traps. In order to do this, one needs a permit from nature conservation to harvest the beetles, one hopes that the maker has this permit. I know of one other company that does such things - they have all the necessary paperwork, and the quality of the resin casts is far better than the ones shown in the shops, with no air pockets left in them.

Perhaps the parks / shops need to investigate the actual legality of these goods? it would be a wee bit embarassing if they were flogging stuff that was illegal.

That is truly a pity then. There is no need to harvest them. I am going to the client today and try to get some pics of some of the casts that they have. You won't believe how good they are.

Lemme see if I can get some pics. Perhaps there is money to be made

The S40 (between Girivana and Timbavati Picnic Spot) is known in our family as the "Dung Beetle Road". Although we have not seen them on some occasions driving this road, we have seen some most of the times. Suchlike we call the S128 (running parallel to the H10) the 'Ostrich Road'. Never ever have we travelled this road without seeing ostriches.

I am a new member to the forum and did not know the rules when I wrote my first letter :red face: and ask all the questions. I do apologise profusely for my mistake, especially to wildtuinman, moderator of "Brids"

Interesting enough under the topic dung Beatles, the question,what happened to the dung Beatles?, were ask way back in Jan. 2005. So my question was really "mostert na die maal" With all the correspondence following the question by bwana, it seems that every body is speculating,
i.e after firs summer rains, areas in the park or seasonal.

What I have also noticed is that there were very few other species of Beatles. On previous visits the were lots.

However, I am still in the dark to what happened to the dung Beatles. As I visited the Park in October 2005 before the rains, Dec-Jan 2006 during the rains and in March 2006. I travelled from the North (Pafuri) to the South (Crocodile bridge) and only saw two dung Beatles.

Can a expert from the Park provide us with an answer or are there literature available on dung Beatles. Can someone please advice me if there is literature on the subject available.

Hi

On 14 April 2006 I ask the question " what is the lifespan of a dung beetle and what happen to all the dung beetles in The Kruger national Park" on the Birds web page.

I have also noticed that the question was asked way-back in Jan 2005. I have done some research on the Dung Beetles and thought that i will shear some information with you.

According to www.dungbeetles.com Dung beetles are strong flyer's and fly several kilometres in one flight. Day light hours (day fliers) and dusk to dawn. (night fliers) The fly upwind along an odour plume to the fresh dung.

Most species mould dung into individual balls in which one egg is laid. The larvae that hatched feed on the dung. When larval growth is completed the larval pupates and a new adult emerges. The time between egg laying and adult emerge can vary from one month to a year or more depending on the species. The life span of the adults is 2-6 months depending on the species. They are most active during the rain season.

According to the St. Lucia library information (www.stluciainfo.co.za) 140 species of dung beetles have already been identified in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park. They also states that larger species can live through three seasons (2.5 years) and will only lay 50 to 80 eggs during their life span, while smaller species produce 80 to 200 eggs during their three to four-month lifetime.

Males use extra-large balls to attract mates. Thus dung piles are often the site of wrestling matches between competing beetles. Being able to navigate in a straight line is an important skill for the beetles because it helps them to escape the madness as quickly as possible.

Males of certain species with horns use the appendage for fighting and for grabbing female mates. Males fight underground and during these fights, the males hook their horns and try to push each other out of the desired females tunnel.

Researchers established that they aligns path by detecting polarity patterns in sunlight and rely on those patterns for finding their way. They have also turned up evidence that the insect aligns its path by detecting the polarisation of moonlight.

You will see many signs in the Addo Elephant National Park asking people to take care not to run over dung beetles as they are vital to the fragile ecology. Maybe similar signs should be erected at the Kruger National Park.

The dung beetles disperse dung and this activity serves to:
- Increase soil fertility
- By burying dung into soil, containing important nutrients
- By burying dung and thus nutrients into plant root zone.
- Increase soil aeration
- Increase water infiltration into the soil
- Reduce pasture fouling
- Reduce water contamination and algal blooms
- Reduce bush and buffalo fly numbers
- Reduce parasite loads

So next time we see dung in the road, do not not drive over it, as dung beetles have to risk there lives to collect the dung. Swerve out and spare the precious life of the dung beetle. I have seen people driving over camelions because the look in the veld searching for the big five. There is so much more to see in nature.

We as humans can learn from the dung beetles. We should not be so quick to throw things away bur rather reuse or recycle, like the dung beetle.

Seeing that today is Mothers day. One last thought for all our mothers. A mom is an example of Gods love in action. She looks with her heart & feels with her eyes. Her kid's can deposit their pain & sorrows in her - like a bank. She is the cement that keeps her family together; her love last for ever.
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Next time that you see a whole lot of fresh dung do yourself a favour and stop. If there is beetles, sit back and enjoy the best wrestling match of your life.


We watched them for about 20 min. + and the tears were rolling down our faces from laughter. Each one wants the best and freshest dung and they are more than prepared to fight for it. They actually flip one another in the air so that they land on there backs. The one was especially funny, after being thrown off his dung a few times he sneaked around the other side and as soon as his rival was on the dung he attacked him from behind.


We watched how they rolled it and how the female's then hitched a ride. The poor things, tired from the battle and then still pushing the lady around.

Here's a dung beetle video by National Geographic on YouTube.

We were in KNP in Jan 08, stayed at BnD. We saw no dungbeetles, and we drove from BnD to PKop to Skukuza to LSabie, all around in the south. NO Dungbeetles.

You miss them when they are not there.

pieter22, when I was in KNP for the Cricket (March 08) I was fortunate to see lots of dung beetles - the most I've ever seen in KNP in such a short trip.

Earlier on in this thread, people say that they tend to see them more after it has rained. That's certainly true of the millipedes (shongololos)! It was raining on and off on the two days when I saw them, so perhaps that is why you weren't lucky enough to see them? What a pity - they are such endearing little creatures.

Flightless dung beetles (Circellium bacchus) - pic taken in Addo, April 2008.


There are only a few populations left of these scattered around the Eastern Cape, with the largest population in Addo. They were once found throughout southern Africa.

These guys are at the top of my wishlist when I go to Addo. I will be driving very very carefully

Saw this Dung Beetle next to the road. There were a lot of them busy with what Dung Beetles do best ...



Did You Know?
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces.