The issue
Murrumbidgee Landcare was approached to participate in a state government funded project to attempt to increase southwest Western Australia’s dung beetle species diversity. The WA Landcare group identified seasonal gaps in dung beetle activity and called on farmers in southwest NSW to collect some of the desired species which were known to exist in our area. The WA Landcare group was also keen to liaise with Landcare groups nationally to build our collective on-ground knowledge of beetle management, species phenology, and identification of gaps in beetle activity.
There was keen interest from Young District Landcare (YDL) and Harden Murrumburrah Landcare Group (HMLG) farmers, as many of them knew little about the habits of these amazing creatures.
The solution
In January, D. gazella and E. africanus dung beetles-both gold/brown species-were targeted for collection in the Cootamundra, Harden, and Young areas, with similar-coloured species like E. fulvus and E. pallipes also likely to be trapped. It didn’t matter if other species were included when sending colonies to WA, as this simplified sorting and helped fill ecological gaps. Local Landcare groups, led by Julie Roberts, organised a field day where 20 participants collected, identified, and cleaned beetles from their properties for interstate transfer. The event included practical demonstrations, information sharing about species and land management, and discussions on the benefits of dung beetles, with all beetles thoroughly cleaned to meet quarantine requirements before being sent to WA.
The impact
There were both regular and new attendees to the Young Grazing Group field day, with an enthusiastic response to the collecting of the dung beetles for the WA project. There was knowledge shared within the group and an enthusiasm to learn more about dung beetles. At least 3 colonies of beetles were packaged and sent off interstate and the funds will be used by YDL Grazing Group to facilitate more field days later this year.
Learnings
Dung beetles have many benefits for the environment including aerating the soil; relocating minerals from the dung into the grass root zone; deepening topsoil; providing habitat for earthworms; increasing rainwater penetration and water retention in the soil; allow movement of nutrients, chemicals, and organic matter into the soil via tunnels; and reducing fly populations.
Case Study 3-5: “Jet Setting” Dung Beetles!
Author: Julie Roberts