Geotrupes stercorarius

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Geotrupes stercorarius, the dor beetle or dumbledore, is a small earth-boring dung beetle found across Europe. Its scientific name is Geotrupes stercorarius (Linnaeus, 1758). The beetle grows up to about 2.5 cm long. It is dark and slightly shiny, with a compact, arched body. The head is shovel-shaped, the antennae are short and end in fan-like tips, and the legs have small spikes.

Geotrupes stercorarius feeds on dung from herbivores, with a preference for horse dung. They can also be found in cattle dung and even in rotting fungi.

Adults usually appear from April or May and are mainly active at dusk or at night. They fly around pastures and are often drawn to light.

For mating in spring, the pair digs a vertical burrow beneath the dung, which can be up to 50 cm deep. The female then creates a series of horizontal brood chambers off the main tunnel, each filled with dung and containing one egg before the chamber is sealed.

Larvae develop through the summer. Some pupate into adults in autumn and spend the winter in the burrows, while others stay in the brood chambers and pupate in spring to produce slightly later adults.

In the evenings you might see them moving around animals, and they can make a chirping sound with their hind legs.