Rather than consuming their dinner where they find it, they push it away from rivals and eat it in a safe place. Yum! Researchers in Sweden have discovered that, although the beetles can't distinguish individual constellations, they use the Milky Way to get their bearings, ensuring that they leave the heap in a straight line, rather than circling back and risking losing their precious dung ball to a rival.
In South Africa, some fortunate dung beetles were taken out for a day trip to a Planetarium where it was suggested that the beetles do an orientation dance on their dung ball before setting off along the line of the Milky Way. If the galaxy was removed from the star pattern, they became disoriented and, presumably, very hungry.
I think we sometimes forget how connected we are to this planet - and universe.
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