Scarabs (Dung Beetles)

There is little doubt that the dung beetle, or Scarab, has captured the hearts of many people. They are disgusting and humorous, and fascinating all together. Their charming clown like activities have attracted many of an audience. However, they are particularly serious creatures. They perform a task like no other creature on earth.

Scarabs are found on every part of the world, except the ocean, and Antarctica, and there are about 7500 species.

Read our colourful account of all things dungy

Steve Scarab

Dung beetles might seem like an odd fascination, but trust me, these little creatures are surprisingly fascinating! Here are some fun facts to pique your interest:

Rolling Champions: Ever seen a dung beetle rolling a ball of dung? They're experts at it! Some species use these dung balls as a food source or a brooding chamber for their eggs.
Nature's Clean-Up Crew: Dung beetles play a vital role in ecosystems by recycling waste. They help break down dung, improving soil quality and reducing the population of disease-carrying pests.
Celestial Navigation: Talk about navigation skills! Some dung beetles use the Milky Way to orient themselves and roll their dung balls in a straight line. How's that for stargazing? See below
Impressive Strength: Despite their small size, some dung beetles can roll dung balls that are up to 50 times their weight. That's like a human pushing a massive truck!
Diversity Galore: There are over 6,000 species of dung beetles worldwide, each with its unique behavior and role in the ecosystem.

From their incredible strength to their ecological contributions, dung beetles prove that even the tiniest creatures can have a huge impact on the world around us!

Scarab Worshipping

Ancient Egyptians worshipped the dung beetle, as they thought it was the reincarnation of the sun god Khepri. The dung beetle would bury the dungball at sundown and miraculously reappear when the the sun rises. Mythical Khepri had a human like body with a dungbeetle face.

Scarab Worship

Our rich history

Scarab beetles are indeed charming creatures with a rich history and fascinating traits. Here are some delightful aspects of scarab beetles:

Symbol of Renewal: In ancient Egypt, scarab beetles were revered as symbols of transformation and rebirth. The Egyptians believed that the rolling of dung balls mirrored the movement of the sun across the sky, symbolizing the sun's daily rebirth.

Scarab Water gives your wastewater new life
Jewel-Like Appearance: Some scarab beetles have striking, iridescent colors that shimmer in the sunlight, making them look like living jewels. Their dazzling appearance adds a touch of beauty to the natural world.
- All our systems are a living jewel
Intriguing Behavior: Scarab beetles are known for their unique behavior of rolling balls of dung, often to bury it for later consumption or for their offspring. This behavior, while essential for their survival, also has a charmingly quirky aspect to it.
All our treatment plants have a unique behaviour
Cultural Significance: Scarab beetles have been featured in art, jewelry, and literature throughout history. Their symbolic importance in various cultures adds to their charm and mystique.
Our systems have featured in press releases, glossy magazines, in presentations and tender documents.
Environmental Benefits: Despite their humble appearance, scarab beetles play a crucial role in the ecosystem by recycling organic matter and improving soil fertility. Their contributions to the environment are both charming and essential.
*Exactly.*

Overall, scarab beetles are charming creatures that captivate with their beauty, symbolism, and unique behaviors, making them a fascinating subject of study and admiration.

Milky way Navigation

Scientists have known for a long time that some species of dungbeetle are nocturnal, so as to avoid its natural preditors. However it was only in recent times, that people learnt that they needed some form of night-time navigation, and the moon was found to be a tool it used. Experiments were performed on the same dungbeetles, during moonless nights, and they performed just as well. The Milky Way could be navigated by dung beetles.

Milky Way

Scarab dung beetles know their way to treat sewage

Dung Down Under

As early as 1947, Australia started importing dung-beetles from South Africa, since the cattle herds had created overwhelming dung problems for the eastern parts of Australia. Some species were selected and after a thorough inspection of each individual insect, they were taken "down under", cleaned and tagged, and bred in captivity, before being released into the wild. The Ozzies were particularly cautious on bringing in a species that may have a negative impact on the country. The cane toad was one such a mistake (see fun facts coming soon).

Initially, many of the new species died of unusual complications as their leg joints would swell up, and they could not feed. Research revealed the scarabs were originally cleaned so well that the mites hidden in the leg joints were removed. These mites naturally helped keep out infection, and without these minute creatures, the dung beetle became infected.

All Treatment systems relies upon minute creatures to consume all the food in the wastewater.

Oz Dung

Australian Cane Toad

Cane Toads

In the land of down-under, much of the ecosystems have been "adjusted" to allow for human impact. Having been isolated from the rest of the world until recent history, natures way of life was very well balanced. When the continent opened up to human settlements, crops and cattle became the forefront of development. Sugar cane, grown mainly in the eastern parts of Queensland and New South Wales, brought its own problems. The cane beetle ravaged the crop, and cane toads were imported from Hawaii in about 1935. Whilst the toads did have some effect on the cane beetles, it was seen as a failure as the toads could not reach the top of the sugar cane (they couldn't jump high enough). Cane toads had no natural enemy in Oz and anything that tempted eating them, died of ingesting the poison sacks on the frogs head. Many of the snakes species that had caught cane toads, were found dead, with the dead frog stuck in the predators mouth.

The cane toads invasive population explosion has created a major natural biodiversity crisus, and the Australian authorities seem powerless to take action.

Also imported into Australia, is the African dung-beetle, in about 1965. With cattle producing excessive volumes of dung, flies and disease became a serious concern. It became inevitable that the toads would have an effect on dung-beetles, and they would simply wait near a fresh cow pie, and catch the dung-beetles as they flew in. It is known that a cane toad has eaten 150 beetles in just one sitting.

We imported three Scarab sewage treatment systems into Queensland, in 2013