NEW RESEARCH from the University of New England shows dung beetles are picky creatures.
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Researcher Amrit Pal Kaur said dung beetles will pass on poo unless it has a certain consistency and smell.
"I've found that fresh poo juice, or poo-ju, contains a varying abundance of different smells," she said.
"One hour poo ju and three hour poo ju is totally different again.
“It’s the quality of these volatiles, and I’ve identified over 110 different chemical compounds – that influence where and when dung beetles feed.”
The university has made a name for itself as a national centre for dung beetle research, putting science behind why an insect revered by the ancient Egyptians still has a role to play in the environmental challenges of the 21st Century.
Ms Pal Kaur’s investigation into what tantalises a dung beetle’s tastebuds, or antennae, is part of a broader effort at UNE to breed and multiply the bug.
Dung beetle facts:
- Dung beetles dine exclusively on dung
- After eating the nutrients, dung beetles make up to 23 balls per kilogram of dung to lay their eggs in
- A single beetle can bury 200 times its body weight in a single night
- Dung beetles decompose the dung and control fly populations, improve soil fertility and possibly hides carbon
"In the winter, when their preferred food is more scarce, dung beetles generally become dormant," she said.
"I'm trying to replicate the high-quality summer dung they like, which is nutritious and rich in nitrogen, and of the right consistency and moisture content for tunnelling and making broods.
“If we can do that, then we might be able to help farmers to multiply their beetle numbers and guarantee their presence year-round."
But, all of this hinges on beetles being attracted to dung in the first place, and they appear highly selective.
Not just any old dung will do.
"I have done so many trials, using all sorts of substances to devise artificial diets for beetles," she said.
"I have five or six different poo-ju recipes that I am currently refining, but I am still trying to get the moisture levels and consistency right. It's quite a challenge."
But the pay-off could be huge. Dung beetles - both our native species and those introduced to Australia from 1968 - are conservatively estimated to be worth about $800 million annually to Australian agriculture.
Just what ecosystem services they provide is the subject of another project that UNE researchers are about to embark on, to dig further into dung beetle biology and ecology.
"We already know that they reduce the impact of bush flies and livestock worms, thereby making cattle more healthy and farmers happier," said UNE associate professor of entomology Nigel Andrew.
"Dung beetles also increase the value of farms, by making more fodder available and recycling nutrients back into the soil. But we need to understand more about what they do in the Australian context, and how our 500 native species interact with the 23 introduced dung beetle species."
This latest project draws on considerable dung beetle expertise developed at UNE. For more than five years, UNE researchers have been conducting population surveys, studying how dung beetles mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and working to educate farmers about the environmental benefits they bring.
"We've become something of a national centre for dung beetle research, with projects underway from coastal areas to Coonabarabran, on introduced and native species, on farmland and in national parks," said Nigel.
"Once you start understanding their basic biology and how dung beetles function, you can potentially start to solve a range of agricultural and biological problems.
“For instance, some species can move the dung 20-25 centimetres into the soil, and that's where carbon can be stored for long periods of time.
“If we can get dung beetles moving the carbon into that area, there are some interesting interactions and potential carbon sequestration implications for land managers."
As far as study subjects go, dung beetles are also pretty neat.
"They are one of the few animals universally admired by people in rural and regional areas," Nigel said.
"They are very charismatic , don't sting and help to ensure we have fewer flies, so we can comfortably enjoy barbecues outside in the summer.
“And slowly they are giving up their secrets, one dung pat at a time."