Flightless dung beetle
| Flightless dung beetle | |
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_on_a_ball_of_elephant_dung_..._(52658371792).jpg)
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| Both from Addo Elephant National Park in Eastern Cape, South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Phylum: | |
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| Genus: | Circellium Latreille, 1825
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| Species: | C. bacchus
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| Binomial name | |
| Circellium bacchus (Fabricius, 1781)
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The flightless dung beetle (Circellium bacchus) is a species of
elytra as a carbon dioxide storage tank, creating a unique breathing mechanism which conserves water, a valuable survival trait in the arid regions it lives in.[2][3][4]
The species was originally widespread in Southern Africa, but it only survives in the few areas mentioned above; as such, it qualifies as an
buffalo) that are also experiencing a decrease in population.[1]
The flightless dung beetles mostly feed on elephant or buffalo faeces, but they have been recorded to also feed on dung from other species such as rabbits, baboons, antelopes, and ostriches.[1]
References
- ^ a b c "Circellium bacchus (Flightless dung beetle, Addo flightless dung beetle)". Biodiversity Explorer. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Circellium bacchus.
- Roger Santer (2006). "Dung beetles turn in wings for a long, dry walk". .
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