when was the dung beetle introduced to australia
1965
title: Dung beetle text: beetles are especially important as an adjunct for improving standards of hygiene. The American Institute of Biological Sciences reports that dung beetles save the United States cattle industry an estimated US$380 million annually through burying above-ground livestock feces. In Australia, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) commissioned the Australian Dung Beetle Project (1965–1985) which, led by George Bornemissza, sought to introduce species of dung beetles from South Africa and Europe. The successful introduction of 23 species was made, most notably "Digitonthophagus gazella" and "Euoniticellus intermedius", which has resulted in improvement of the quality and fertility of Australian cattle title: Australian Dung Beetle Project text: Australian Dung Beetle Project The Australian Dung Beetle Project (1965–1985), conceived and led by Dr George Bornemissza of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), was an international scientific research and biological control project with the primary goal to control the polluting effects of cattle dung. Upon his arrival to Australia from Hungary in 1951, Dr Bornemissza, an entomologist and ecologist, noted that Australian farmland was covered in a large number of cattle dung pads. This was in contrast to the fields of Europe where the dung was removed and recycled back into the soil by various species of title: Australian Dung Beetle Project text: the CSIRO research base in Pretoria, South Africa, with the added step of the eggs being transported by air in sealed containers of sterilised peat moss. In the early years of the project, the dung beetle species "O. gazella", which was able to remove dung pads in as little as 24 hours, showed the most promise in becoming established in Australia. After the first stocks were released onto pastureland in Northern Queensland in 1968, beetle recapture figures showed that the species had spread at the rate of 50–80 km per season, including the colonisation of two islands, Magnetic Island and title: Beetle text: burying it in the soil, with the added effect of improving soil fertility, tilth, and nutrient cycling. The Australian Dung Beetle Project (1965–1985), introduced species of dung beetle to Australia from South Africa and Europe to reduce populations of "Musca vetustissima", following successful trials of this technique in Hawaii. The American Institute of Biological Sciences reports that dung beetles save the United States cattle industry an estimated US$380 million annually through burying above-ground livestock feces. The Dermestidae are often used in taxidermy and in the preparation of scientific specimens, to clean soft tissue from bones. Larvae feed on and remove title: George Bornemissza text: time lapse photography. Bornemissza travelled to 32 countries in search of suitable dung beetles to introduce to Australia. The first dung beetles to be introduced to Australia came from Hawaii, where beetles had already been introduced from Africa in order to biologically control (see biological control) populations of the pestilent horn fly. Samples of the species "Onthophagus gazella" were transported to Australia where they were bred in sterile conditions before being released in Queensland in 1968. They soon became established across a large area of tropical Australia. It was realised that due to periods of seasonal inactivity by "O. gazella",