| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Insects |
| Publisher | Elsevier- Hanley and Belfus Inc. |
| Pages | 304-307 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780123741448 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Abstract
This chapter discusses the reproductive behavior, evolution, and evolution-level patterns of dung beetles. Dung beetles are medium to large-sized beetles, which are specialized to feed and breed on an ephemeral and discrete food resource, consisting mainly of the piles of dung produced by herbivorous warm-blooded animals. There are about 5000 species in the subfamily Scarabaeinae. The behavior for which the dung beetle is best known is the removal of dung from the pat and compaction in tunnels in the ground as provisioning for their offspring. The reproductive behaviors of tunneling and rolling are associated with characteristic body morphologies. Rollers often have elongated hind limbs for pushing the ball along the substrate. But perhaps the most striking morphological adaptations occur in the tunnelers, where males, and sometimes also females, have enlarged horns located on various regions of the body.