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Minotaur beetles

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  • 28-06-2010 11:30pm
    #1
    ender ender
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm wondering if anyone here would know how common minotaur beetles are here in Ireland? I found a dead one in Wicklow a couple of weeks ago, and while I've discovered that they are found here in Ireland, I don't know if they are common or not. I was surprised to hear we had dung beetles, but my girlfriend's dad assures me they've always been in here(or at least as long as he recalls).

    If anyone can answer this I'd appreciate it! Thanks...
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Kess73
    Registered Users Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    Don't have a clue as to how common they actually are, other than what I can find online, but there is a certain person on this forum whose knowledge on insects and the like is excellent.

    Who is this mystery man?

    Why it can only be....


    125600564789.jpg


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    #3
    Kess73
    Registered Users Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    A quick check online would suggest that your father is right about dung beetles, as the minotaur beetle would be one.


    http://www.newforestexplorersguide.co.uk/sitefolders/wildlife/insects/otherinsects/dungbeetles/dungbeetlepage.html


    It would seem that the minotaur beetle is pretty common in the UK, but I have no idea about over here.

    Guess we will have to wait for Mothman to surface to give an answer about them in Ireland.


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    #4
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    I think they are fairly new to Ireland with recnt reports in the East Mournes.

    Mothman will certainly know better.


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    #5
    ender ender
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭ender ender


    Thanks both of you; yeah a look on the web suggests they are present north of the border but I'm not too sure how common they are furhter south. I found it near Powerscourt waterfall a few Sundays back. A really beautiful creature, pity it was dead (although if it was alive I wouldn't have seen it!).


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    #6
    wgsten
    Registered Users Posts: 187 ✭✭wgsten


    Some pictures of a busy Dung Beetle taken in April 2010 on the Banks of the river Liffey.
    P4250018.jpg

    P4250025.jpg

    wgsten
    http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/


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    #7
    Mothman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,498 ✭✭✭Mothman


    Kess73 wrote: »
    but there is a certain person on this forum whose knowledge on insects and the like is excellent.

    Who is this mystery man?
    Kess73 wrote: »

    Guess we will have to wait for Mothman to surface to give an answer about them in Ireland.
    Lyanna Shallow Raise wrote: »

    Mothman will certainly know better.

    errmm, I don't know.... :) I'm going under again.

    I know about Moths and Dragonflies.....other things I can bluff about quite well and then other stuff I know feck all...beetles fall into the latter..

    as for Irish info...
    NBDC have none
    Invertebrate Ireland have none

    I suggest that the record is submitted to NBDC


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    #8
    ender ender
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭ender ender


    Thanks for looking, I didn't know about the NDBC site so I will send it in, although I don't have photos so I'll see what kind of proof they need. Wgsten, that looks really similar to the one I saw although it was definitely a male with three horns above its head. Maybe yours is a female? Although I'm certainly no expert! But if it is then maybe they're more common than I thought.

    Thanks people!


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    #9
    wgsten
    Registered Users Posts: 187 ✭✭wgsten


    The pictures of the Minotaur Beetle that i posted are indeed pictures of the female Minotaur Beetle. She was moving a piece of dung when i found her. I am assuming that i was a dropping from a deer as there was a lot of deer droppings nearby. I took about ten photos of the beetle in order for me to identify it positively.
    wgsten
    http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/


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    #10
    Kalahari
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭Kalahari


    I think they are fairly common in Wicklow, I have seen them a good few times there and have also seen a lot of badger scat glistening with lots of broken wing cases from these beetles.

    I took this pic in 2007 so they've been there since then at least. They are pretty cool close up :)

    DungBeetle1.jpg


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    #11
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    I'm no expert in this field but I'd swear that that last photo is a Dor Beetle Geotrupes stercorosus and not a Minotaur Beetle typhoeus (Minotaur Beetle).


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