beetle

The dung beetle, which disperses seeds as it rolls its dung balls, fertilizing topsoil and enhancing biodiversity and engineering its environment, normally orients itself using the Milky Way and the moon.

The state’s forests in recent years have also suffered from extreme drought conditions, bark beetle infestations and other stressors that have contributed to increasing tree death.

In the Mournes, Mr Fisher said rove beetles and other insects "support the skylarks and the meadow pipits that come from the lowlands to nest up in the uplands during this time of year".

According to the publication, Capt. Jonathan Carver documented in the 1760s that Native American tribes used beetle larvae, which emerged from thawing tree bark during this time of year.

Hidden inside the bundle were insects not fit for consumption, but ideal for exotic beetle enthusiasts.