It's all about the habitat - The secret life of cattle dung!

Cattle dung provides moisture, nutrients, and shelter for numerous insect species and other arthropods.  Ralf Jochmann’s video magnificently captures some of this diversity, using close-up photography and narration (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l05EHZMmKE).

Adults of the dung beetle Chilothorax (Aphodius) distinctus are common in cattle dung, particularly in September and early October.  Larvae develop in agricultural soils where they can occasionally cause crop damage when present in high densities.  For more information on this occasional pest, click here.