Introduced Dung Beetles in Australia

Penny Edwards worked at the CSIRO Dung Beetle Research Unit in South Africa for five years researching the reproductive biology of dung beetles, and later in Canberra studying the effect of dung quality on dung beetle growth and reproduction. She was the technical co-ordinator on the 2001-2002 Queensland Dung Beetle Project. Pam Wilson worked for the Northern Tablelands Dung Beetle Express project during which time she was involved in dung beetle monitoring, harvesting and release under the guidance of the Queensland Dung Beetle Project. After receiving a Churchill Fellowship Pam studied the effects of grazing management on dung beetle populations in South Africa. Jane Wright joined CSIRO in 1984 to work on the dung beetle project in South Africa. After a detour through stored grain research, Jane returned to dung beetles in her retirement and led the project to introduce Onthophagus vacca and Bubas bubalus.

Introduction

The introduced beetles

Onitis pecuarius v. O. viridulus

New introductions

Native dung beetles

Other beetles in dung

Acknowledgements

References