Hi,
Sorry to bug you
Can anyone help with my beetle ID? I have posted pics and video to my blog. http://domewood.blogspot.com/2008/05/dung-beetle.html
Thanks for looking.
Colin

HI Colin, Have a look at Geotrupes stercorarius, the Dor Beetle.
There are quite a few of these around at the moment.

Hi Colin

I would go with Geotrupes as the genus so as Andy says it is a dor beetle.

There appear to be five UK species. The head doesn't look quite right for stercorarius but most likely species. Next best bet is stercorosus.
Have a look at the bioimages website: http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/T41904.HTM

Hi,
Thanks for your efforts. My first thought was a Dor beetle.

Doubt crept in because I had read that Dor's tunnel into cow dung and this one was rolling rabbit dung, something that I have observed our minotaurs doing.

I have seen the bioimages pics of the dor beetle but found it hard to separate them from these pics of a female minotaur.

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/T104588.HTM

If it is true that the minotaur is our only dung rolling beetle, then the video clearly shows this beetle rolling rabbit dung and that should be conclusive.

Help! Anyway, what do you think? Has anyone seen a Dor beetle behaving like the one in my vid? Or am I missing some obvious identification feature?

Colin

Hi Colin

There is a centreline on the thorax of your beetle but not on the image of the minotaur. Also the minotaur has horn-like processes at the front of the thorax which are smaller in the female but not visible in your photo.

I have dor beetles on one of my sites. There are no cattle, just deer and rabbits. Since they have no cow pats to burrow in maybe they have to collect up lots of droppings and to do this they have to roll?! I don't think this is rolling in the usual sense because they have not made a ball.

Sorry I can't help more

Two images of Geotrupes rolling:

http://www.planetepassion.com/photogalle...rius.1.jpg

http://photographersdirect.com/buyers/st...id=1555208

Hi,
Thanks South Coast,
I am beginning to think it must be a Dor beetle. I saw another one on Saturday, just the same. If it was a female minotaur I would have to believe that it's the males who stay in the burrows.
Nice to have both species present.
Thanks for your help.
Colin