Three species of dung beetle marching with a "galloping" gait have been discovered by Scientists. Such traits have not been observed in any other insect earlier.

The majority of insects' species march gradually moving ahead three legs at a time. The reason behind such a way of walking of these flightless beetles is not known till now. These insects have the normal way of walking. These results are reported in the journal Current Biology.

"Like a bounding hare, the beetles propel their body forward by synchronously stepping with both middle legs and then both front legs", said researchers.

The findings are described by Dr. Jochen Smolka from the University of Lund in Sweden.

The dung beetle is found the Western Cape. It now runs across the sand similar to an insect Lone Ranger. It grasps coveted bits of dried feces.

Byrne and his colleagues from Lund University in Sweden believe that the species might have changed its way of marching because it wants itself to be able to locate its way back and forth from its nest.

Earlier research has found that ants count their steps as a method to find its way back and forth from home. Bees use the visual flow of scenery across their retinas to determine how much distance has been travelled by it. This calculation helps the bees to locate their hives.