A "tumblebug" is a large black beetle with legs designed for digging. These beetles roll manure into a ball and the balls are rolled, buried, and eaten, one after another, until late summer when the female buries a few special balls, which contain a creamy white egg. From these eggs a grub or larva hatch that grows until the ball becomes a hollow shell. After passing through a resting, or pupa stage, the adult breaks out and digs its way to the surface.
The sacred scarab of the ancient Egyptians was a dung beetle of the Mediterranean countries. This insect has figured importantly in their art and religion for thousands of years. The ball, which the beetles roll from sunrise to sunset, symbolized the earth; and the beetle itself was the sun. As an emblem of eternity, it was placed in tombs with their dead and its image carved in stone and precious gems. Because it disappeared into the soil and later reappeared, it stood for resurrection. Later, Roman soldiers wore scarab seals set in rings to bolster their courage.
Annette Y. Kirton & Katie Roe ENT 301; Fall 2001
