ON FARM NATIONAL ng beetle trapper Delicious dung Counting beetles Reporting back Risk-free benefits Dung selection is an The DBEE monitoring team Russ said the monitoring Russ said producers often important consideration when returns to traps as close to program is part of a bigger ask him if there are risks to trapping beetles, as species 24 hours after setting them effort dedicated to providing introducing dung beetles can have specific preferences as possible, to examine producers with easily and if they can be harmful for for particular dung. the contents. accessible information on the environment. “We’re often asked why we “The number of beetles dung beetle distribution, “It’s perfectly reasonable for import new beetle species trapped can vary by site,” and feeds into beetle producers to be sceptical to Australia when we have Russ said. databases and maps on the as previously introduced more than 500 unique DBEE website. species of fauna, such species currently established “Last time we did our It all comes down to as the cane toad, have here,” Russ said. Wagga Wagga–Gundagai definitively evaluating had devastating impacts,” monitoring loop, we had species’ preferences for Russ said. “The simple answer is an abundance of the climatic zones and seasonal because native species winter-active dung beetle activity patterns. In more than 50 years frequently have a strong Bubas bison, with some traps of gathering information preference for Australian attracting hundreds of them.” “We want to introduce on dung beetles, he marsupial dung, whereas the His team assesses the multiple species hasn’t turned up any 23 species of dung beetles contents of the traps in-field negative impacts of the successfully introduced to to report on the diversity of in each region to introduced species. ■ Australia by CSIRO research beetle species, then takes fill seasonal gaps, Below: DBEE reseracher Dr Russ teams typically have a all samples back to Charles ensuring producers Barrow (right) chats with producer preference for the dung of Dave Ferguson, who hosts a introduced herbivores such Sturt University. Samples are reap dung beetle dung beetle trapping site on his as sheep and cattle. later sent to the University Gundagai property. Image: Matt Beaver. of Western Australia for benefits year‑round,” “This is where we’ll add the taxonomic examination. Russ said. greatest value in Australian grazing systems through beetle introduction.” 35