In addition, I described for the first time a surprising mutualistic interaction between dung beetles and oak species, which attracted the media in many occasions and generated several manuscripts in top-journals of high impact within their areas of knowledge (e.g. PloS One 8: e77197, Ec. Entom. 32: 349-356). Our findings demonstrate that certain species of dung beetles (such as Thorectes lusitanicus), despite being quantitatively less important than rodents, can act as effective local seed dispersers of Mediterranean oak species. The complex network of interactions established between beetles, herbivores and Quercus species might have important repercussions not only for oak recruitment and community dynamics but also for forest management and species conservation. Thus, we highlighted that management policies directed to control the problems of overpopulation of large herbivores and to find an optimal population size of them are essential for allowing the persistence and conservation of beetle populations and, thus, promoting the natural regeneration of Quercus species.