The effect of seasonal changes in cattle dung on egg production by two species of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in south-western Australia

1986 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Ridsdill-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung

AbstractEgg production by two scarabaeine dung beetles, Onthophagus binodis (Thunberg) and Onitis alexis Klug, was measured in the laboratory in relation to seasonal changes in the characteristics of the cattle dung on which they fed. Dung was collected in two areas of south-western Australia monthly between September and May. Egg production was high on dung from green annual pasture from September to November and on green irrigated perennial pasture from December to May and low on dung from dead annual pasture from December to May. O. alexis was somewhat less affected by these seasonal changes in dung characteristics than Onthophagus binodis.

Field assessments of the impact of night-flying dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the bush fly, Musca Vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), in south-western Australia

1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Ridsdill Smith ◽  
J. N. Matthiessen
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe effect of excluding the night-flying dung fauna, which included one abundant species of dung beetle (Scarabaeidae) in each of two areas, on the numbers of Musca vetustissima Wlk. emerging from cattle dung pads was studied in south-western Australia. Fresh dung pads were exposed to natural, daytime oviposition by M. vetustissima and half were covered at night. A test at one site before dung beetles emerged showed no effect of other nocturnal fauna on fly survival. In three experiments where Onthophagus ferox Har. was excluded, the numbers of flies emerging increased from 679 to 1019 per dung pad. In five experiments where Onitis alexis Klug was excluded, the number of flies emerging increased from 14 to 33 per dung pad. The mortality contributed by Onthophagus ferox was estimated to be around 27% and that by Onitis alexis around 15%.

Bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), control in relation to seasonal abundance of scarabaeine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in south-western Australia

1988 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Ridsdill-Smith ◽  
J. N. Matthiessen
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Additional Species

AbstractSeasonal patterns of abundance of Musca vetustissima Walker and scarabaeine dung beetles were measured at Busselton in south-western Australia for two years before and three years after, the introduction and establishment of two species of summer-active dung beetles, Oniticellus pallipes (F.) and Onthophagus binodis (Thunberg). Previously, only a single winter-active native dung beetle species, O. ferox Harold, occurred in this area. The mean dry weight of dung beetles trapped in December (early summer) was unaffected by the establishment of the additional species, and fly populations remained high. In January, however, dung beetle dry weight increased more than 60-fold and M. vetustissima abundance fell to 12% of its previous value, essentially halving the duration of major fly problems in the area. Virtually no flies emerged from cattle dung after December, when dung beetle activity reduced egg-adult survival of M. vetustissima to only 0·5%. It is proposed that better M. vetustissima control could be achieved in much of south-western Australia by introducing additional dung beetle species that are abundant in November and December.

Some effects of three species of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in south-western Australia on the survival of the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), in dung pads

1981 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Ridsdill Smith
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Baited Traps ◽  
Arthropod Fauna

AbstractThe effectiveness of three species of scarabaeids in reducing the survival of Musca vetustissima Wlk. in cattle dung was compared in laboratory experiments in Australia at 27°C in which the arthropod fauna collected in dung-baited traps in different localities at different times of year was added to one-litre dung pads containing known numbers of M. vetustissima eggs. The dung was collected from each site at the time of the experiment. Onitis alexis Klug collected in October and December at Geraldton, and Onthophagus binodis (Thnb.) collected in January at Bunbury, shredded most of the dung, reducing fly survival to 4% of that in control pads. O. binodis collected in March and October at Bunbury, and O. ferox Har. collected in May and December at Busselton, mostly buried dung, reducing fly survival to 32% of that in controls. Factors other than the numbers of beetles were also important in determining the degree of suppression of the fly.

scholarly journals Interaction between Earthworm and Dung Beetles on Cattle Dung Decomposition

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-242
Author(s):  
Hea-Son Bang ◽  
Young-Eun Na ◽  
Myung-Pyo Jung ◽  
Myung-Hyun Kim ◽  
Min-Su Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Dung Decomposition

Comparison of Bird Populations in Remnants of Wandoo Woodland and in Adjacent Farmland.

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 331 ◽  
Author(s):  
GW Arnold ◽  
RA Maller ◽  
R Litchfield
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Scattered Trees ◽  
Open Woodland

Data were obtained during 2 yr at Baker's Hill, Western Australia, in farmland with no trees, scattered trees or clumps of trees and 3 types of open woodland. There were differences in the number of bird species found in each habitat, ranging from 25 in woodland habitats to 11 in open farmland. In autumn, there were more aerial feeders in open farmland and farmland with few trees than in farmland with many trees and woodland, but fewer in spring. There were more ground-feeding seed-eaters in farmland with trees than elsewhere, except in autumn. There were large seasonal reciprocal changes in the numbers of thornbills in farmland with many trees and woodland, indicating movement between habitats. Within the woodland habitats there were only small seasonal changes, but there were large differences in numbers of some groups between the 3 habitats.

Avermectin residues in sheep and cattle dung and their effects on dung-beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) colonization and dung burial

1991 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. G. Wardhaugh ◽  
R. J. Mahon
Keyword(s):  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Toxic Effects ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Fly Larvae ◽  
Newly Hatched Larvae

AbstractData from dung-baited pitfall traps show that dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) do not discriminate against dung from sheep or cattle treated with avermectin. On the contrary, for a period post-treatment, dung from animals treated with avermectin attracted more beetles than dung from untreated animals. This effect was more marked with cattle dung than with sheep dung. The period of enhanced attractiveness of sheep dung was restricted to dung produced during the first day after treatment, whereas with cattle dung, the effect was still evident in faeces produced 25 days after treatment. Cattle dung produced from 3–25 days post-treatment caused 100% mortality in newly hatched larvae of the bushfly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera:Muscidae). In dung of day 35, mortality was 93.6%. Dung collected from sheep from 1–6 days after treatment also caused 100% mortality of fly larvae, but by day 28, no toxic effects were detectable. Field observations on the colonization of cattle pats confirmed the enhanced attractiveness of dung from treated animals and suggested that departure rates from treated dung were lower than those from untreated dung. Treated pats supported higher beetle populations than untreated pats and burial was more rapid. The potentially serious implications of the enhanced attractiveness of avermectincontaminated dung are discussed in relation to the survival of dung beetle communities.

Stages of bush fly, Musca vetustissima (Diptera: Muscidae), killed by scarabaeine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in unfavourable cattle dung

1990 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.J. Ridsdill-Smith ◽  
L. Hayles
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Total Mortality ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Egg Mortality ◽  
Summer Mortality ◽  
Fly Larvae ◽  
High Level ◽  
Fluctuating Temperatures

AbstractThe stages of bush fly Musca vetustissima Walker, killed by the dung beetles, Onthophagus binodis Thunberg and Onitis alexis Klug, at low and high densities were measured in cattle dung of low nutritive value. A high level of M. vetustissima mortality occurred in the presence of Onitis alexis and Onthophagus binodis in experiments both in the laboratory at a constant 25°C, and exposed to summer fluctuating temperatures outside. The K values for total eggpuparia mortality increased curvilinearly with increasing log10 beetle numbers. The mortality of older larvae, k3, was most closely correlated with total mortality, K, where b = 0.720 and r2 = 0.931, while a lesser but significant correlation was obtained with mortality of young larvae, k2, where b = 0.291 and r2 = 0.645, but no correlation was obtained with egg mortality, k1, where b = −0.010 and r2 = 0.058. It is predicted that in unfavourable dung which occurs during summer, mortality of older bush fly larvae will be the key mortality caused by scarabaeine dung beetles.

scholarly journals New screening test to predict the potential impact of ivermectin-contaminated cattle dung on dung beetles

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Lumaret ◽  
Michel Alvinerie ◽  
Hella Hempel ◽  
Hans-Joachim Schallnaß ◽  
Daniel Claret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screening Test ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Potential Impact
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document