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dung beetle
(redirected from Dung beetles)

    Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
dung beetle
n.
Any of various beetles of the family Scarabaeidae that form balls of dung on which they feed and in which they lay their eggs.
dung beetle, chafer
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of the various beetles of the family Scarabaeidae and related families that feed on or breed in dung
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.dung beetle - any of numerous beetles that roll balls of dung on which they feed and in which they lay eggsdung beetle - any of numerous beetles that roll balls of dung on which they feed and in which they lay eggs
scarabaean, scarabaeid, scarabaeid beetle - any of numerous species of stout-bodied beetles having heads with horny spikes
scarab, scarabaeus, Scarabaeus sacer - scarabaeid beetle considered divine by ancient Egyptians
tumblebug - any of various dung beetles
dorbeetle - Old World dung beetle that flies with a droning sound
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Another name for scarab beetles is dung beetles, because they roll up a ball of dung, move it to a protected place, lay their eggs in the dung, and when the eggs hatch, the beetle larvae eat the dung
The World's Strongest Animal! by umasairam / Science and technology, general community
By burying that waste, dung beetles not only remove it from the surface, they improve and fertilize the soil and reduce the number of disease-carrying flies that would otherwise infest the dung.
30-mln yr old fossilized mega-dung reveals secret ecology of lost ... by Asian News International
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dung beetles are named for their unappetizing eating habits.
Picky eater by Crane, Cody / Science World
 
 
 
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