This beetle rolls up a ball of dung before laying eggs on it and burying it.

Scarabaeus ambiguus is a large black species of scarab beetle with an adult length of about 24 mm (0.9 in).

The forelegs are adapted for squeezing and manipulating loose dung to form balls.

Its range centres on the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, and adjacent parts of the Eastern Cape where it is found on highveld grassland, bushveld and open woodland, but avoids thick forests and dense stands of trees.

It is diurnal and is particularly active in the morning, in the cool conditions after heavy rain, when it is on the wing earlier than other species of dung beetle.