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Selecting New Kinds Of Dung Beetles For Better Bush Fly Control, T J. Ridsdill-Smith
Selecting New Kinds Of Dung Beetles For Better Bush Fly Control, T J. Ridsdill-Smith
Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4
Native dung beetles are found in south-western Australia, but they are largely restricted to areas of natural vegetation where they feed on dung pellets of marsupials.
When European man cleared the land, planted pastures and introduced cattle, he created a new type of environment which did not suit most native beetles. Cattle dung accumulated, and the bush fly Musca vetustissima, found this a very favourable breeding site.
In an attempt to correct this inbalance, other types of dung beetles addapted to living in open pastures are being introduced by CSIRO. These introduced beetles can reduce fly numbers by increasing the …