dung beetle
dung beetle — noun
1. a kind of beetle that gathers animal waste into small balls, using them for food
a kind of beetle that gathers animal waste into small balls, using them for food and often as a place to leave its eggs.
At sunset, Leo watched a dung beetle push a dark ball across the sand.
watch a dung beetle roll a ball
The science class kept a dung beetle in a glass box for one week.
keep a dung beetle in a glass box
After the cows moved on, a dung beetle appeared beside the fresh droppings.
Ritu sketched a dung beetle lifting a small dung ball with its front legs.
Farmers value dung beetles because they help clear waste from the fields.
- scarab beetle
broader term; many dung beetles belong to the scarab family, but not every scarab is a dung beetle
- tumblebug
a more specific North American name for a dung beetle that rolls dung balls
用法筆記
Usually countable. The plural 'dung beetles' is common when speaking about the group as a whole or about their helpful role on farms and grassland.