Dung Beetle Is Strongest Insect

March 24th, 2010

We have probably heard that dung beetles are strong before. I know it scratched some memory for me when I read that the dung beetle has been proven to be the strongest insect, but they actually did some testing and found which particular dung beetle can bench press you.

A species of dung beetle called Onthophagus taurus, is the winner. In an experiment to find out why animals vary so much in strength and endurance, Dr Rob Knell from Queen Mary, University of London and Professor Leigh Simmons from the University of Western Australia found the strongest beetle could pull an astonishing 1,141 times its own body weight — the equivalent of a 70kg person lifting 80 tons (the same as six full double-decker buses). That’s a person who has taken a few weight loss formula cocktails I am guessing.

So they can lift about 2 pounds then?

Basing it off their weight seems like a lot, but obviously they weigh very little. Of course it is still interesting to see the study about why animals vary in strength so much.

“Insects are well known for being able to perform amazing feats of strength,” explained Dr Knell from Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, “and it’s all on account of their curious sex lives. Female beetles of this species dig tunnels under a dung pat, where males mate with them. If a male enters a tunnel that is already occupied by a rival, they fight by locking horns and try to push each other out.” Knell and Simmons tested the beetles’ ability to resist a rival by measuring how much weight was needed to pull him out of his hole.

“Interestingly, some male dung beetles don’t fight over females,” said Dr Knell. “They are smaller, weaker and don’t have horns like the larger males. Even when we fed them up they didn’t grow stronger, so we know it’s not because they have a poorer diet.

“They did, however, develop substantially bigger testicles for their body size. This suggests they sneak behind the back of the other male, waiting until he’s looking the other way for a chance to mate with the female. Instead of growing super strength to fight for a female, they grow lots more sperm to increase their chances of fertilising her eggs and fathering the next generation.”