Dung beetles

There are several introduced and native dung beetle species, which play an important role in agricultural ecosystems. Adult dung beetles feed predominantly on the dung of cattle, sheep and horses, and in the process they break up dung pads, disperse nutrients and aerate the soil. Common species are typically brown-black beetles, and vary in size from 7-25 mm long. They can be mistaken for other scarabs and cockchafers. Dung beetles tend to be most numerous after rainfall, when a new generation emerges. Their presence can sometimes be detected by the shredded appearance of dung pads on the surface of pasture paddocks.