The world's strongest insect is a type of male dung beetle¹ which needs its power to be able to mate with females in animal faeces, British and Australian scientists said Wednesday.

英国和澳大利亚科学家本周三称，全世界力量最大的昆虫是一种雄性屎壳郎，这种屎壳郎需要很大的力量才能在动物粪便中与雌性屎壳郎交配。

A sculpture of a dung beetle on top of ball of dung. The beetle, aka Onthophagus taurus, has been called the world's strongest insect by British and Australian scientists.

Onthophagus taurus can pull 1,141 times its own body weight -- the equivalent of a 70-kilogramme (154-pound) person being able to lift 80 tonnes, the weight of six double-decker buses.

The extraordinary strength of many of the beetles² is due to their unusual mating arrangements.

Even weaker members of the species have a compensating³（补偿的，平衡的） trait（特性，品质） in evolutionary⁴ terms -- huge testicles（睾丸） which increase their chances of fertilising a female.

"Insects are well known for being able to perform amazing feats⁵（特技，功勋） of strength and it's all on account of their curious sex lives," said Dr Rob Knell⁶ of Queen Mary, University of London, one of the researchers.

"Female beetles of this species dig tunnels under a dung（粪便） pat, where males mate with them.

"If a male enters a tunnel that is already occupied by a rival, they fight by locking horns and try to push each other out."

Knell added that some male dung beetles are smaller and weaker, but do not have to fight for female attention due to their "substantially bigger testicles".

"This suggests they sneak⁷（潜行，偷偷地） behind the back of the other male, waiting until he's looking the other way for a chance to mate with the female," he said.

"Instead of growing super strength to fight for a female, they grow lots more sperm⁸ to increase their chances of fertilising her eggs and fathering the next generation."

Onthophagus taurus's amazing feats of strength are chronicled（记录） by Knell and Professor Leigh Simmons of the University of Western Australia in the journal Proceedings⁹ of the Royal Society B.