Onthophagus orpheus prefers dog dung over cow dung

A study published in Ecology and Evolution reports that the dung beetle Onthophagus orpheus strongly prefers dog dung over cow dung. The study flags a potential risk from accumulation of domestic dog waste in urban areas because egg mortality is higher in dog dung despite adult preference.

Study on Onthophagus orpheus and Dog Waste:

Dimension	Key Details
Feeding category	Dung beetles are detritivores that feed on mammalian faeces.
Brood ball behaviour	Dung beetles roll dung into balls and bury them in soil, where the dung serves as food for developing offspring.
Ecosystem functions (from dung burial)	This activity helps in nutrient recycling, soil enrichment, seed dispersal and burial, and supporting plant growth.
Brood ball size	Larger brood balls are made using dog dung.
Egg development	Eggs develop faster in dog dung.
Offspring size	Offspring emerging from dog dung are larger.
Major concern	Egg mortality is higher in dog dung.
Key inference	There is a mismatch between adult preference and offspring survival.
Possible explanation stated	Dog dung may contain residues of antiparasitic medicines administered to domestic dogs, and these chemicals may accumulate in dog faeces and potentially harm larvae and pupae of dung-dwelling insects.
Evidence status noted by study	The mechanism involving antiparasitic medicine residues requires further investigation.
Ecological importance (dung removal)	Dung beetles rapidly remove dung from the surface.
Ecological importance (soil processes)	Their tunnelling and burial activities improve nutrient cycling and soil processes.
Ecological role label	Dung beetles act as important ecosystem engineers.
Issue flagged in urban areas	The preference may negatively affect offspring survival, highlighting an emerging risk from accumulation of domestic dog waste in urban areas.