Nature on our Doorsteps: Dung, a treasure for some . . .

Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into nature on our doorsteps and the beautiful biodiversity of its plants and wildlife.

THERE is an army of creatures in nature that feed on the dung waste produced by other animals.

Two interesting species are the Dung Beetle and the Yellow Dung Fly.

The Dung Beetle is a beautiful glossy insect with a blue sheen to its black body.

Because they need to burrow into dung and soil, their legs are sturdy and powerful.

Spiky hairs along these legs help to shift soil away as they burrow.

After mating in springtime, the beetles seek out a pile of dung left behind by herbivores like horses, cattle, sheep, or deer.

The larvae of the Yellow Dung Fly feeds on nutrient-rich cowpats

They dig underneath the dung pile and construct a long main burrow with side chambers off to the side.

The female lays an egg in each chamber and fills it with dung from the pile above.

She then seals off the chamber with soil.

The larvae hatch and feed on the dung throughout the summer. Some will pupate and emerge as adults in autumn, while others overwinter.

The Yellow Dung Fly is also an attractive insect, with yellow-gold hairs and bronze coloured eyes.

While the adult feeds mainly on smaller insects and some nectar, its larvae are dung feeders.

Swarms of Dung Fly are most noticeable when they gather around fresh cowpats to mate.

The female lays her egg onto the surface of the dung and when these hatch, the larvae burrow down into the warm manure and feed on the rich nutrients.

While the thought of this activity might not be pleasant for us, dung feeders perform a critical recycling role.

They break down animal manure and use it as a source of food.

These dung feeders themselves also become food for a range of birds, bats, other insects, spiders, and mammals.

In this way, the dung’s nutrients are recycled throughout the different layers in nature.

One creature’s waste is indeed another creature’s treasure.

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