Photo: Adrian Holloway
Your beetle appears to be hauling its ‘victim’ back to its lair, but on closer inspection, its prey is in fact a rabbit dropping…
This creature is not a monster, far from it, he is an incredibly helpful recycler of dung!
You may see one, or its close relative the Dor beetle, lumbering into sight on one of the sandy heathland paths. Both share a glossy black dome of a body and six spiky legs, but the male Minotaur beetle is topped with three ‘horns’, which he uses to defend the nest.
Photo: Anna Allum
The adults breed in winter and will dig a nest burrow, often elaborately divided, as deep as one and a half metres and with several underground chambers. In each of these chambers, an egg is deposited and provisioned with a ball of dung. The larvae will feast on its delightful meal and emerge as an adult in the autumn, starting the cycle once again.
Not only do these beetles require a steady supply of rabbit droppings (although cow pats can also be popular) but they need sandy soils in which to tunnel – that’s why we find them on the heathland.
Find a minotaur beetle: They are around for most of the year, often found lying on their backs, legs flailing on the sandy paths. I tend to give them a helping hand and turn them right way up!
Heathlands Reunited: This is the first of a series of blogs featuring some of the fascinating creatures we find on our heathlands. They'll all be featuring on our newly interpreted trail on the heath created as part of the Heathlands Reunited Project. This partnership project, led by the South Downs National Park Authority aims to restore and reconnect the precious heathland habitat across the National Park.