Copris dracunculus ()

About

Copris dracunculus is a species of dung beetle that belongs to the family Scarabeidae. The genus Copris consists of over 250 species distributed worldwide.

Males from this genus sport an impressive rhino-like horn extension on their heads and a few smaller bumps on their pronotum. The frontal part of their heads resembles a flat plate. The body of a Copris beetle has a pore-like texture, while elytra are smooth with ribbing.

These insects spend most of their time buried in underground tunnels. They are known to collect nutritious dung and then roll it to a secluded place where it can be buried. The females lay eggs inside the dung so that their larvae can feed right after hatching.

Recent studies prove that these beetles, as well as other insects, can use their sight to refer to the position of the Milky Way to ensure they are not moving in circles whilst rolling dung, thanks to their inborn ability to see polarized light patterns that are generated by celestial bodies.

Oh, and they can fly, too. You wouldn't think they would walk on the ground while looking for a nice piece of dung, would you?