What are some dung beetles famous for?

Pulling far more than their weight

How do dung beetles help farms?

Recycling nutrients and reducing flies

Dung Beetle Quiz: Rolling Balls and Navigating by Starlight

This dung beetle quiz rolls a ball across the African savanna under a starry sky. Play 10 interactive questions on rollers, tunnelers and dwellers, why beetles roll in straight lines, climbing on the ball to orient, a 2013 study showing beetles use the Milky Way, tiny caps that blocked their view, the scarab god Khepri and Australia's imported dung beetles.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Food
What do dung beetles feed on?
Types
Which are groups of dung beetles?
Roll
Why do rollers move balls in straight lines?
Climb
Why do beetles climb on top of their ball?
Stars
What did a 2013 study show dung beetles can use?
Caps
How did researchers block beetles' view of the sky?
Strong
What are some dung beetles famous for?
Egypt
Which Egyptian god was linked to the scarab?
Australia
Why did Australia import dung beetles?
Help
How do dung beetles help farms?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What do dung beetles feed on?
Answer: Animal dung
They recycle waste.
Q2: Which are groups of dung beetles?
Answer: Rollers, tunnelers and dwellers
Each handles dung differently.
Q3: Why do rollers move balls in straight lines?
Answer: To escape rivals quickly
Straight lines lead away from the dung pile fastest.
Q4: Why do beetles climb on top of their ball?
Answer: To get their bearings
They spin and look around.
Q5: What did a 2013 study show dung beetles can use?
Answer: The Milky Way to navigate
It was tested in a planetarium.
Q6: How did researchers block beetles' view of the sky?
Answer: With tiny caps
Capped beetles wandered.
Q7: What are some dung beetles famous for?
Answer: Pulling far more than their weight
One species pulled over 1,000 times its weight.
Q8: Which Egyptian god was linked to the scarab?
Answer: Khepri
He rolled the sun across the sky.
Q9: Why did Australia import dung beetles?
Answer: To break down cattle dung
Native beetles preferred marsupial dung.
Q10: How do dung beetles help farms?
Answer: Recycling nutrients and reducing flies
Buried dung feeds the soil.

Rolling by Starlight

Dung beetles feed on animal dung and recycle it. Rollers shape dung into balls and roll them away, tunnelers bury dung under the pile, and dwellers live inside it. Rollers push balls in straight lines, the fastest way to escape rivals that might steal them.

Before setting off, a beetle climbs on top of its ball and spins to get its bearings. In a 2013 study, researchers found that some dung beetles use the band of light from the Milky Way to keep straight on moonless nights, testing them in a planetarium. When beetles wore tiny caps that blocked the sky, they wandered.

Ancient Egyptians linked the scarab beetle to Khepri, the god who rolled the sun across the sky. Australia imported dung beetles to break down cattle dung, since native beetles preferred marsupial dung. Some dung beetles can pull far more than their own weight.

What This Quiz Teaches

Insect fans will enjoy these questions.

What dung beetles eat
How they move dung
How they navigate
What legends surround them
How they help farms

Did You Know?

Eggs are laid inside dung balls.
Some beetles ride on monkeys.
They find dung by smell.
Elephant dung attracts thousands.
Both parents sometimes roll together.