Common Dor Beetle

geotrupes stercorarius

The Common Dor Beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius), also known as the lousy watchman, is a heavy-bodied and ecologically vital beetle native to Europe. This species is famous for its role as a nature recycler, performing the critical task of breaking down and burying animal dung. By excavating deep tunnels beneath dung piles, they aerate the soil, facilitate nutrient cycling, and reduce the breeding grounds of pestilent flies. Their tireless tunneling and waste processing make them unsung champions of pasture ecosystems.

Hábitat: Typically found in pastures, meadows, and open woodlands where grazing livestock are present.

Aspecto

This robust beetle measures between 1 and 3 centimeters in length, featuring a highly convex, oval-shaped body. While its upper side is a glossy black, its underside and the edges of its body display a striking, iridescent metallic violet, blue, or green sheen. The wing cases (elytra) are marked with distinct, deep longitudinal grooves, and its strong legs are heavily lined with spines adapted for digging. Its short antennae are tipped with fan-like, sensory clubs.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenColeopteraFamiliaGeotrupidaeGéneroGeotrupes

Common Dor Beetle

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Datos interesantes

Their nickname 'lousy watchman' comes from the fact that they are often covered in tiny, harmless phoretic mites and fly with a clumsy, heavy buzz at dusk.

These beetles are remarkably strong for their size, capable of pushing objects that weigh many times their own body weight.

To provide for their offspring, parent beetles work in pairs to excavate deep tunnels, filling individual side-chambers with a sausage-like mass of dung for each single egg.

Habilidades especiales

Equipped with powerful, spine-covered forelegs, the beetle can rapidly tunnel up to 60 centimeters deep into compacted soil to create underground breeding chambers.

Using sensitive, fan-clubbed antennae, it can detect the faint scent of fresh herbivore manure from great distances, navigating directly to its food source.

When threatened, the beetle can rub its hind legs against its abdomen to produce a distinct, high-pitched squeak to startle potential predators.

Medidas y detalles

Longitud: 1+ cm
Envergadura: 3+ cm
Peso: 0.001+ kg
Esperanza de vida: 1+ años
Top Speed: 8 km/h
Tamaño de la puesta: 5+
Incubación: 10+ días

Dieta y alimentación

Both adults and larvae feed almost exclusively on the dung of herbivorous mammals, recycling nutrients back into the ground.

Diferencias por edad: Larvae feed on dung reserves carefully prepared by the parents in breeding chambers, while adults feed on fresh dung at the surface.