Dung Beetles in New Zealand

The following pages provide background information on dung beetles in New Zealand.

Extensive information on dung beetles in New Zealand can be found at

https://dungbeetle.org.nz/ and describes the research that has been done overseas and

more recently in New Zealand.

The first intentional introduction of a pastoral based dung beetle was the Mexican dung

beetle (Copris incertus) in 1956 and successfully established at Whangarei. It was also

seeded on a farm in Taranaki where over the last 40 years it has spread to

neighbouring farms. It was later introduced into South Kaipara in 1994 by Dr Shaun

Forgie where it is now well established.

Because dung is produced continuously by pastoral livestock throughout the year one species of dung beetle

alone is incapable of achieving suitable control.

Therefore in 2009, an MPI Sustainable Farming Fund project

(grant number 09-079) lead by the Dung Beetle Release

Strategy Group with science support from Landcare Research,

successfully applied for the introduction of 11 dung beetle

species and began mass rearing and distribution. A timeline for this project and the subsequent establishment

of Dung Beetle Innovations at the project’s conclusion is shown on the next page.

Contamination of pasture by dung reduces the amount of forage available for grazing, and has other

economic, environmental, ecological and social effects, such as pollution of waterways. NZ’s 15 species of

native dung beetles are primarily forest dwellers and are not able to utilise dung in open pasture.

By introducing 11 additional species of dung beetles that can deal with pastoral dung effectively we will have

the opportunity to help mitigate the problems associated with it and achieve more sustainable production in

the future.

Other countries that farm livestock on a large scale (particularly Australia, USA including Hawaii, and Brazil)

have benefited from importing pastoral dung burying beetles when their own native species are not adapted

to utilise the dung of exotic animals and/or modified open pasture. Australia started a national dung beetle

project in 1965, and successfully established 23 species.

More recently on the 15th May 2017 Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, announced that the

Federal Government was funding a $24 million-dollar 5-year project ($9m from the Government) to restart

their National Dung Beetle Establishment and Importation Programme.

Copris incertus.

Adults are about

15-17mm long.

Recent NZ Dung Beetle Timeline

2009

MPI’s Sustainable Farming Fund approves a 3-year project to research the risks, costs,

and benefits of introducing dung beetles. Subject to ERMA approval the project will

import, start mass rearing and releasing dung beetles.

2010

An application by the Dung Beetle Release Strategy Group to release 11 species of

dung beetles is lodged with ERMA (now the EPA).

ERMA holds a public hearing to debate the benefits and potential issues.

2011

ERMA gives approval for dung beetle release, without controls.

The first three species are imported into containment in the MPI SFF Project.

Three species are released from containment into mass rearing facilities.

2012

Two more species are imported into containment.

A stakeholder Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is established to advise the DBRSG.

The MPI SFF Project is extended. Trials are conducted by Landcare Research.

2013

The Institute of Environmental Science and Research conduct a thorough human

health risk assessment.

Having considered all the evidence, the TAG “saw no reason why dung beetle releases

could not proceed.”

The first release of 500 dung beetles occurs in September 2013 in Gore.

The first North Island release occurs in Wairarapa in October 2013.

2014

A total of 74 dung beetle releases occur across 7 regions from Northland to Southland.

Dung Beetle Innovations Ltd is established, with the mission “To rebalance New

Zealand’s pastoral farming systems; through the leadership, sale, and research of dung

beetles.”

2015/16 and 2016/17

Farmers purchase and release 133 dung beetle colonies.

DBI is a partner in 3 Freshwater Improvement Fund applications.

This figure provides a snap shot of the dung beetle life cycle and the benefits dung beetles provide to both pasture and the environment.

The fundamental principle to all contaminant control is prevent, filter, clean.

A graphic representation of the cost per hectare of mitigation measures for reducing nutrient, sediment, and

E. coli losses from pasture to fresh water.

* Clean: mitigation measures may include floating treatment wetlands/rafts, and lake dredging.

Cost sources:

Dung beetle costs are based on a Whole Farm Package ($6,000 +GST).

Fencing and riparian costs are from the Waikato River Independent Scoping Study (NIWA, 2010).

Dung beetle growth rate between seeding and reaching a farm’s full carry capacity

Dung beetle species currently available in New Zealand

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Du

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Years

Farm carry capacity

Dung Beetle Innovations YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGLdz8pHBvtx9lH66_Sa8Rg

Dung beetles in action! https://youtu.be/hxhyiqoRQvo

O. Binodis found established one year after being released on a farm in Northland.

https://youtu.be/HpkVKdzlciM

Dung beetles released in Hawke’s Bay

https://youtu.be/vI_647YSNWY

Dung Beetles on Rural Delivery https://youtu.be/Kt7xe2OVRvY

Dr Shaun Forgie collecting dung beetles in Australia, screened on Daily Planet

https://youtu.be/DNM3014VuP4

A summary of the Dung Beetle Release Group’s project

https://youtu.be/pLwNFBtSOOU

Follow Dung Beetle Innovations on

https://www.facebook.com/dungbeetleinnovations/

Just for fun! (When dealing in dung you can’t take yourself too seriously)

https://youtu.be/Q1zbgd6xpGQ

Kung Fu Dung Beetles - Narrated by David Attenborough

- Operation Dung Beetle – BBC

https://youtu.be/Zskz-iZcVyY

Key Research References:

Many of these papers can be found at http://dungbeetle.org.nz/references/

Benyon SA, Wainwright WA, Christie M 2015. The application of an ecosystem services framework to estimate the economic value of

dung beetles to the U.K. cattle industry. Ecological Engineering 40: 124–135.

Bornemissza G.F. (1960). Could dung eating insects improve our pastures? Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science

26: 54-56.

Brown J., Scholtz C.H., Janeau J.-L., Seraphine Grellier S., Pascal Podwojewski P. (2010). Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) can

improve soil hydrological properties. Applied Soil Ecology 46: 9–16.

Doube B.M. (2005a). The impact of the activity of the late summer/autumn-active dung beetle Geotrupes spiniger on soil and water

properties in the field. Final Report. Dairy SA, February: 23pp.

Doube B.M. (2005b). Optimal release sites for the dung beetle Bubas bison in the water catchments of the Central Highlands,

Victoria. Report prepared for Central Highlands Water: 17pp.

Doube B.M. (2005c). Dung burial by the winter-active beetle Bubas bison and its impact on soil properties in the Barham River Water

Catchment, Apollo Bay, Victoria. Final report for phase 1: 31pp.

Doube B.M. (2006). The impact of dung burial by Bubas bison and Geotrupes spiniger on earthworm populations in the Central

Highlands of Victoria. Final Report, Central Catchments Water: 23pp.

Doube B.M. (2008). The pasture growth and environmental benefits of dung beetles to the southern Australian cattle industry. Meat

& Livestock Industry, North Sydney, NSW. ISBN: 9781741912814: 192pp.

Dymond J.R., Serezat D., Ausseil A.-GE., Muirhea R.W. (2016). Mapping of Escherichia coli Sources Connected to Waterways in the

Ruamahanga Catchment, New Zealand. Environmental Science and Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05167

Fincher G.T. (1981). The potential value of dung beetles in pasture ecosystems. Journal of the Georgia Entomological Society 16(1):

316-333.

Forgie S.A., Paynter Q., Zhao Z., Flowers C., & Fowler S.V. (Submitted). Field cage experiments to investigate the potential for new

exotic dung beetles reduce surface run-off and cattle helminth numbers in New Zealand pastures. Biological Control, April

2017.)

Halffter G. & Edmonds W.D. (1982). The nesting behaviour of dung beetles (Scarabaeinae): An ecological and evolutive approach.

Instituto de Ecologia. Mexico D.F. Publication 10, (MAB) UNESCO: 177 pp.

Hanski I. & Cambefort Y. (Eds), Dung Beetle Ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.

Holter P. (1997). Methane emissions from Danish cattle dung pats in the field. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29(1): 31-37.

Gillard P. (1967). Coprophagous beetles in pasture ecosystems. The Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, March:

30-34.

Jarvis S.C., Lovell R.D., Panayides R. (1995). Patterns of methane emission from excreta of grazing animals. Soil Biology and

Biochemistry 27(12): 1581-1588.

Mackereth G., Nokes C, Holmes J., Hambling T. (2013). The release of exotic pastoral dung beetles in New Zealand: A Health Risk

Assessment. The Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd. Porirua, New Zealand. 101p.

Macqueen A., Beirne B.P. (1975). Effects of cattle dung and dung beetle activity on growth of beardless wheatgrass in British

Columbia. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 55: 961-967.

Norman R. (2010). Time for Governments to regulate dairy pollution. Press Release. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.

http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/time-government-regulate-dairy-pollution. Retrieved 24 August, 2010.

Penttilä A., Slade E.M., Simojoki A., Riutta T., Minkkinen K., Roslin T. (2013). Quantifying Beetle-Mediated Effects on Gas Fluxes from

Dung Pats. Plos One: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071454

Ryan U., Yang R., Gordon C., Doube B. (2011). Effect of dung burial by the dung beetle Bubas bison on numbers and viability of

Cryptosporidium oocysts in cattle dung. Experimental Parasitology 129 (2011) 1–4.

Tompkins D., Forgie S., Aislabie J., Nugent G., Gourlay H., McGill A., McLeod M., Yockney I., Paynter Q., Fowler S., Hayes L. (2012).

Informing the infectious disease risks of dung beetle releases into New Zealand. Landcare Research Internal Report LC908.

17p. (http://dungbeetle.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Tompkins_Dung_Beetle_Disease_Report.pdf)