Mystery hole(s) ID please

[balky]

This, and over a hundred more found in very close proximity to each other, was found in the ground of a clearing of Tilgate Forest. A £1 coin is next to it for scale. Would it be Miner bees or similar? Help solve my little mystery please (my wife says it's where the fairies live).

[healfdan]

When I worked on a heathland reserve we often found holes such as this. They were made by scarab beetles possibly Typhaeus typhoeus

[Dorts]

Looks like the work of a Lob Worm to me. It's our largest earthworm and frequently produces these mounds of earth around its holes, especially if the ground is rich in humus.
Dorts.

[balky]

Thanks for the reply. Any idea when they are most active? (if it is the beetle)

[healfdan]

Hi
Dung beetle activity is best witnessed dawn or dusk. If beetles were responsible you should see evidence of rabbit or sheep droppings in the vicinity which is usually a sandy sparse grassland habitat. Dung beetles are active spring to late autumn. If it is worms then more likely to be a damp site with plenty of decaying leaves blown in from the nearby woodland. Activity best viewed during the night or first light.