A Life of Humbleness and Nobility: Poop-eating Dung Beetles

A Life of Humbleness and Nobility: Poop-eating Dung Beetles

 
Taiwan e-Learning and Digital Archives Program (TELDAP): 2009 Bridge Project Story Contest
2nd Place Winner by Chen Furong
 
Catharsius molossus, or the “Big Black Dung Beetle,” is the largest dung beetle found in Taiwan. It has three horns on its head. The main characteristic of this kind of beetle is that they roll animal feces into balls then roll them back to their nest, where they consume them as food. By doing so, the beetles help to decompose animal dung. This helps to prevent disease spread by the swarms of dipteran insects that gather around the dung. Therefore, dung beetles have long been considered beneficial for husbandry and forestry industries. To the ancient Egyptians, dung beetles were regarded as sacred, a symbol of the sun, and were given the mysterious name “Scarab Beetle.”
 
Scarab beetles are symbolic to the ancient Egyptians in three ways
1. The Association With the Sun
 
The sun is the core of ancient Egyptian religion. Seeing the beetles rolling their dung balls across the ground, the ancient Egyptians believed them to be the avatar of the sun god Khepri, who pushes the sun across the sky. The dung balls look like the sun, while the beetles’ head is notched with rake shapes that look like the rays of the sun. Also, at the end of each of its six legs, the beetle has five tarsal claws. Five times six equals thirty, which represents the number of days in a solar month. For these reasons, dung beetles became an essential element in the religion of ancient Egypt, and were venerated and worshipped.
 
2. The Amulet of the Living/Dead
The ancient Egyptians made amulets in the shape of the dung beetle, and believed that they could protect the wearer. Such amulets were buried along with the deceased for protection on the road to the afterlife. They were expected to follow the wearer into the afterlife. The amulets used in burial rituals typically feature eagle-winged scarab beetles.
 
3. The Power of Resurrection
The juvenile dung beetles roll dung into balls and disappear underground, then emerge a month later fully grown. Seeing this, the ancient Egyptians believed that they had the magical power of resurrection, and carved scarab beetles on stones for funeral ornaments. Furthermore, as the ancient Egyptians believed that the heart is the source of all thought, scarab beetle amulets were usually placed over the heart. With a stone scarab beetle inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead, the deceased would safely passed the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony during the final judgment, and be blessed with eternal life. 
 
The Egyptians enriched the stories of the dung beetle. The dung beetle has also appeared in the recent Hollywood blockbuster The Mummy. In one scene, hordes of carnivorous scarab beetles close in on the villains trapped inside the pyramid, eventually engulfing and devouring the human flesh. The spine-chilling image lends a more mysterious and horrifying feeling to the dung beetle. Also, American manufacturers of agricultural waste processing equipment took inspiration from the beetles’ digging and burrowing characteristics, and named one piece of machinery the “Scarab Compost Turner.” As far as Beijing, ancient Egyptian silver jewelry shops carry various crafts shaped in the image of the dung beetle. There is even an old wive’s tale that ointments made from dung beetles can treat hemorrhoids. Dung beetles continue to appear in popular culture, but remain shrouded in myths and misconceptions.
 
Dung beetles play a critical role in natural ecosystems. As mentioned in Fabre's Book of Insects, they are the scavengers of nature. Imagine a large prairie with herds of cattle and sheep. As time goes by, without scavengers to take care of the dung, the amount of waste would be overwhelming. There would be mountains of elephant dung on the African savannah, and floods of cow dung in the forests of New Zealand. Dung beetles use the dung to feed their larvae while they help to solve the waste crisis. Dung beetles allow the ecosystem to flourish and maintain its biodiversity.
 
 
References:
  1. “Follow Me, Treasure Card” 46 (Nov. 2003). Kid’s Instant Study Source (KISS), Issue 20. Oct.16, 2009. Source: PTS Educational Resource.
  2. .Kobayashi, Junji (2004). The Book of Human Insects by Tezuka Osamu, translated by Zhu Yaoyi. Taipei: TIPI.
  3. Volunteer Education and Training–Guide sheet of the Information Lobby of the Insectarium (Oct, 2004). Oct. 18, 2009. Source: Taipei Zoo.
  4. Fabre (1991). The Book of Insects “Nature Scavenger–Dung Beetles” (edited by Okumoto Daizaburo; revised by Yang Pingshi). Shueisha Inc., Japan.
  5. Lian Lili (2004). “The Ancient Egyptian Art from Louvre –Are Scarab Beetles Man-eaters?” Museum Newsletter, Issue 198. Oct.16, 2009. Source: National Museum of Natural Science.
  6. Huang Wenbo (2008). “Nature Scavenger–Dung Beetles.” Taiwan Environmental Information Center. Oct. 15, 2009. Source: http://e-info.org.tw/node/36226
  7. Eygood Mall. “Scarab Beetle”. Oct.16, 2009. Source: http://www.eygood.com/searchshop.asp?product_name=%E5%9C%A3%E7%94%B2%E8%99%AB&keytype=4
  8. Ye Tianda. The Interesting Encyclopedia of Insects and Plants “Do dung beetles like to play with poop?” Jiu Tong International Cultures.
  9. Zhan Meiling (2002). “Putting bugs into medicine.” Museum Newsletter, Issue 174. Oct.16, 2009, Source: National Museum of Natural Science.
Items of the Collection: A Life of Humbleness and Nobility: Poop-eating Dung Beetles
 
 
Name: Catharsius molossus, or “Big Black Dung Beetle”
Subject and Keywords: Kingdom: Animalia
Description: Preservation Method: Pinned Specimen
 
 Name: Catharsius molossus, or “Big Black Dung Beetle”
Subject and Keywords: Kingdom: Animalia
Description: Preservation Method: Pinned Specimen