dung beetle

American  

noun

1. any of various scarab beetles that feed on or breed in dung.

---

dung beetle British  

noun

1. any of the various beetles of the family Scarabaeidae and related families that feed on or breed in dung

---

Etymology

Origin of dung beetle

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

And when describing her underachieving brother’s shortcomings, she says, “He’s got the brains of a dung beetle and the ambitions of a French bureaucrat.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

The dung beetle, which disperses seeds as it rolls its dung balls, fertilizing topsoil and enhancing biodiversity and engineering its environment, normally orients itself using the Milky Way and the moon.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2025

Kuang’s dark literary thriller “Yellowface” and “I Eat Poop,” Mark Pett’s “absolutely adorable and very funny kid’s book about a dung beetle, with a really wonderful anti-bullying message.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2024

There’s the South American dung beetle, an exquisite peacock of a bug, with its bold, black horn and its iridescent blues, greens and oranges.

From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2013

“Not even a dung beetle would want to push that old ball of caca around, much less hold on to it. Mamá should have sold it a long time ago.”

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall