There are thousands of species of dung beetles, occurring worldwide wherever dung is found. Adults range from two to over fifty mm in length. Most species are dark colored, but a few have bright patterns or even metallic colors. Many species have distinctive horns or other distinctive characteristics.
There are many herbivores that eat a lot of grass in various geographical areas of the world. These herbivores produce a lot of dung, or droppings. What happens to the dung? Very special insects called scarab beetles, or dung beetles, break up the dung piles and move it away.
Once dung beetles find dung, they either begin to eat it, or they start rolling balls of it away. The beetles stand on their front feet and push the ball of dung with their back feet. These dung balls are often bigger than the beetle.
If these beetles did not exist, the pats of dung would harden and cover the ground. Grass and other plants would not be able to grow.
Some species of dung beetles prefer specific habitats (grassland or forest) or certain soil types (sand or clay). Some species feed on dung of only one species of animal, while others are not so limited. Most eat dung, but some scavenge carcasses or feed in decaying vegetation or fungi. Both adults and larvae feed on the food sources. Some species shape a brood ball which they roll away to bury, while others simply dig burrows under or near the feces and pack the dung into them.