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dung beetle |
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dung beetle: see scarab beetle scarab beetle or scarab, name for members of a large family of heavy-bodied, oval beetles (the Scarabaeidae), with about 30,000 species distributed throughout most of the world and over 1,200 in North America. ..... Click the link for more information. . dung beetleAny member of one subfamily (Scarabaeinae) of scarab beetles, which shapes manure into a ball (sometimes as large as an apple) with its scooperlike head and paddle-shaped antennae. They vary from 0.2 to more than 1 in. (5–30 mm) long. In early summer it buries itself and the ball and feeds on it. Later in the season the female deposits eggs in dung balls, on which the larvae will later feed. They are usually round with short wing covers (elytra) that expose the end of the abdomen. They can eat more than their own weight in 24 hours and are considered helpful because they hasten the conversion of manure to substances usable by other organisms. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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His personal inability to communicate, and commune, with other people, even those closest to him such as his sister, lover and friends increases his isolation, and leads him to feel rejected, which is conveyed through a series of metaphors, the most potent of which is the metaphor of the dung-beetle of the desert, forsaken by God and not allowed into the company of the forest dung-beetles, the external social world. And two of the longer essays fall in the section of the Adages covered by this volume: "A dung-beetle hunting an eagle" (178-214) and "War is a treat for those who have not tried it" (399-440). Result: Owls with dung decorations averaged 10 times as many dung-beetle meals. |
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