dung beetle

noun

: a beetle (such as a tumblebug) that rolls balls of dung in which to lay eggs and on which the larvae feed

Examples of dung beetle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And some dung beetles use the Milky Way to find their way at night, but for the much simpler task of going in a straight line over a short distance, which does not really compare with the moths’ long journey to a highly specific destination. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 June 2025

And while dung beetles use the light of stars to travel a few dozen feet, no insect had been documented using stellar navigation to travel. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 18 June 2025

The most affected insect groups include our old friends, the butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), bees and wasps (Hymenoptera) and dung beetles (Coleoptera). —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

The researchers also set up cameras to record animal presence, as well as insect traps to keep track of flies and dung beetles. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dung beetle

• fetal
• foetal
• acetyl
• bimetal
• decretal
• varietal
• centripetal

Kids Definition

dung beetle

noun

: a beetle (as a tumblebug) that rolls balls of dung in which to lay eggs and on which the larvae feed