Roller dung beetles of dung piles suggest habitats are alike, but that of guarding pitfall traps suggest habitats are different

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 209-213
Author(s):  
G. Asha ◽  
K.K. Navya ◽  
T.P. Rajesh ◽  
Palatty Allesh Sinu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Tropical Rainforests ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Nutrient Distribution ◽  
Fragmented Forests ◽  
Diversity Studies

AbstractRoller dung beetles play a pivotal role in the nutrient distribution in soil and secondary dispersal of seeds. Dung beetles are sampled either using a dung-baited pitfall trap or an exposed dung pile on the ground. While the former method is useful for a rapid survey of dung beetles, information on the ecology and behaviour of dung beetles can be lost, which the latter method provides, but underestimates species diversity due to its inefficiency in trapping rollers. Efficiency of a new method for sampling rollers—installing guarding pitfall traps around dung piles—is assessed in three habitats—contiguous tropical rainforests, fragmented forests, and disturbed used home gardens—and two diel periods—day and night. Five guarding pitfall traps were installed at 50 cm radius around dung piles. About 98% of the total rollers were sampled in pitfall traps. The habitats were similar when the roller catches of only dung piles—conventional approach—were analyzed, but were different when the rollers of guarding pitfall traps were considered. The roller abundance was negatively affected by forest fragmentation and land-use change. About 98% of the rollers were collected at daytime. Using guarding pitfall traps around dung piles is highly recommended for dung beetle diversity studies.

scholarly journals Wood Pastures: A Transitional Habitat between Forests and Pastures for Dung Beetle Assemblages

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
László Somay ◽  
Viktor Szigeti ◽  
Gergely Boros ◽  
Réka Ádám ◽  
András Báldi
Keyword(s):  
Functional Group ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Beetle Assemblages

Wood pastures are home to a variety of species, including the dung beetle. Dung beetles are an important functional group in decomposition. Specifically, in terms of livestock manure, they not only contribute to nutrient cycling but are key players in supporting human and animal health. Dung beetles, however, are declining in population, and urgent recommendations are needed to reverse this trend. Recommendations need to be based on solid evidence and specific habitats. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of an intermediate habitat type between forests and pastures. Wood pastures are key areas for dung beetle conservation. For this reason, we compared dung beetle assemblages among forests, wood pastures, and grasslands. We complemented this with studies on the effects of dung type and season at three Hungarian locations. Pitfall traps baited with cattle, sheep, or horse dung were used in forests, wood pastures, and pasture habitats in spring, summer, and autumn. Dung beetle assemblages of wood pastures showed transient characteristics between forests and pastures regarding their abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, assemblage composition, and indicator species. We identified a strong effect of season and a weak of dung type. Assemblage composition proved to be the most sensitive measure of differences among habitats. The conservation of dung beetles, and the decomposition services they provide, need continuous livestock grazing to provide fresh dung, as well as the maintenance of wood pastures where dung beetle assemblages typical of forests and pastures can both survive.

Effect of pitfall trap depth on epigaeic beetle sampling (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Staphylinidae) in wet forested ecosites in Alberta, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 150 (6) ◽  
pp. 813-820
Author(s):  
H.E. James Hammond ◽  
David W. Langor ◽  
Dustin J. Hartley
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Trap Depth ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Organic Soil ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Deep Traps

AbstractThe depth at which pitfall traps were sunk into the ground and the resulting catches of epigaeic Carabidae (Coleoptera) and Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) assemblages in subhygric to hydric ecosites with very deep organic soil layers was investigated in the upper foothills ecoregion of Alberta, Canada. Traps were installed at seven sites, with six surface traps (the pitfall trap lip <5 cm below soil surface) and six deep traps (the pitfall trap lip >20 cm below soil surface) at each site. A total of 5289 beetles representing 75 taxa were collected. There were no significant effects of trap depth on catch. Rarefaction estimates of species diversity were higher in surface pitfall traps for both taxa. The similarity of pooled catches between deep and surface traps was on average 75%, suggesting that both trap types were collecting similar faunas. We found no advantage to using deep pitfall traps in addition to surface traps to sample the epigaeic fauna of wet forest stands and peatlands.

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.

Diversity and body size of dung beetles attracted to different dung types along a tropical land-use gradient in Sulawesi, Indonesia

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahabuddin ◽  
Purnama Hidayat ◽  
Sjafrida Manuwoto ◽  
Woro A. Noerdjito ◽  
Teja Tscharntke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Habitat Disturbance ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Habitat Types

Abstract:Dung beetles are a functionally important component of most terrestrial ecosystems, but communities change with habitat disturbance and deforestation. In this study, we tested if dung beetle ensembles on dung of introduced cattle and of the endemic anoa, a small buffalo, are affected differentially by habitat disturbance. Therefore, we exposed 10 pitfall traps, five baited with anoa and five baited with cattle dung, per site in six habitat types ranging from natural and selectively logged rain forest to three types of agroforestry system (characterized by different management intensity) and open areas (n = 4 replicate sites per habitat type) at the margin of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. We found 28 species, 43% of which were endemic to Sulawesi. Species richness, abundance and biomass declined from natural forest towards open area. Large-bodied species appeared to be more sensitive to habitat disturbance and the ratio of large to small-sized dung beetles declined with land-use intensity. Although selectively logged forest and cocoa agroforestry systems had lower species richness compared with natural forest, they appeared to maintain a high portion of species originally inhabiting forest sites. The similarity of dung beetle ensembles recorded at forest and agroforestry sites reflects the high similarity of some habitat variables (e.g. vegetation structure and microclimate) between both habitat types compared with open areas. Species richness and abundances as well as species composition, which was characterized by decreases in mean body size, changed with land-use intensity, indicating that dung type is less important than habitat type for determining ensemble structure of these Indonesian dung beetles.

Optimising design and effort for environmental surveys using dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

2016 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Tocco ◽  
Danielle E.A. Quinn ◽  
John M. Midgley ◽  
Martin H. Villet
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Method ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Trap Design ◽  
Sampling Protocols ◽  
By Catch

AbstractIn biological monitoring, deploying an effective standardised quantitative sampling method, optimised by trap design and sampling effort, is an essential consideration. To exemplify this using dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) communities, three pitfall trap designs (un-baited (TN), baited at ground level (flat trap, TF), and baited above the trap (hanging trap, TH)), employed with varying levels of sampling effort (number of traps=1, 2, 3 … 10; number of days=1, 2, 3), were evaluated for sampling completeness and efficiency in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Modelling and resampling simulation approaches were used to suggest optimal sampling protocols across environmentally diverse sites. Overall, TF recovered the greatest abundance and species richness of dung beetles, but behavioural guilds showed conflicting trends: endocoprids preferred TH while paracoprids and telocoprids preferred TF. Resampling simulation of trap type and the two components of sampling effort suggested that six TF traps left for three days was most efficient in obtaining a representative sample and allowed differentiation between trap types, allowing the improved efficiency to be recognised. The effect of trap type on non-target specimens, particularly ants, was also investigated. TF and TH caught almost no by-catch, which is ethically desirable.

scholarly journals Can Baited Pitfall Traps for Sampling Dung Beetles Replace Conventional Traps for Sampling Ants?

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 376
Author(s):  
Kelley Rita Przybyszewski ◽  
Ricardo José Silva ◽  
Ricardo Eduardo Vicente ◽  
João Victor Garcia Freitas ◽  
Mônica Josene Barbosa Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Small Decrease ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Native Habitat ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Total Species

Ants  and  dung  beetles  are  widely  used  in  monitoring  biodiversity  and  are  considered  excellent  environmental  indicators.  Although  the pitfall trap is the most commonly used method to sample dung beetles and ants in ecological studies, beetles are usually sampled using dung‐baited pitfall traps while ants are sampled using un‐baited pitfalls. In the protocol for collecting the beetles it is necessary to have attractive baits in pitfalls. In order to minimize collection effort and costs and to facilitate logistics, it is necessary to determine if there is an effect of the baits on the biodiversity of ants collected in the same traps. Therefore, the objective of this work was to find out whether baited pitfalls could replace conventional pitfalls for the capture of ants. In a total of 42 areas of native habitat, three baited pitfall traps and three without bait were installed, all in the same transect, equidistant ten meters and in activity for 48 hours. In total, 150 species were collected, of which 131 were recorded in non‐baited pitfalls and 107 in baited pitfalls. Traps without bait contributed to 28% of the total number of species captured in this study, whereas pitfalls with bait contributed only to 12% of the total species caught. However, 60% of the total species were captured regardless of the method. In addition to the loss of species among the types of traps, the effect of the method modifies the species composition. We concluded that depending on the type of study, a small decrease in the number of species and change in the composition can influence the results. Thus, we recommend that baited pitfalls should not replace conventional pitfalls.Palavras-chave: Método de coleta; Protocolo de coleta; Desenho da amostra; Esforço de amostragem.

scholarly journals A comparison of pitfall trapping and quadrat sampling of Carabidae (Coleoptera) on river banks

1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 65-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Wiener Index ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Carabid Beetle ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Sample Method ◽  
River Banks

A comparison was made betweeen the "open" pitfall trap method and quadrat sample method in microhabitats on river banks. The latter method was found to give reliable estimates of the absolute abundance of carabid beetle species. In pitfall traps individuals of the carabid beetle Bembidion schuppelii were over-represented in a sub-optimal microhabitat compared with in optimal ones. The niche-overlap between this species and B. bipunctatum was 0.19 in quadrat samples and 0.59 in pitfall traps. There was no correlation between the relative abundance of individuals of species in quadrat samples and in pitfall traps. Individuals of larger carabid species were highly over-represented compared to smaller ones in pitfall traps, an effect that was independent of diurnal rhythm and life cycle category. Biomass of larger carabid species was also overestimated in pitfall traps compared to that of smaller ones. Imagines were more efficiently captured in pitfall traps than larvae. Pitfall traps had a higher number of species than quadrat samples in all investigated sites. In four of five cases the Shannon-Wiener index gave higher species diversity in pitfall traps than in quadrat samples. It is concluded that the "open" pitfall trap method is inappropriate to study dominance ratio, the ecological role of species and perhaps the species diversity within communities. The general insight into the community structure of carabid beetles may therefore be very biased.

scholarly journals Prevalence of the dog nematode Spirocerca lupi in populations of its intermediate dung beetle host in the Tshwane (Pretoria) Metropole, South Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Du Toit ◽  
C.H. Scholtz ◽  
W.B. Hyman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Domestic Dogs ◽  
Cow Dung ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Spirocerca Lupi ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Host Parasite

Spirocerca lupi (Spirurida: Spirocercidae) is a cosmopolitan parasite, principally of domestic dogs and dung beetles are its main intermediate hosts. In South Africa there has recently been growing concern over the upsurge of reported cases of clinical spirocercosis in dogs, while little is known or understood about the dynamics of the host-parasite associations between dung beetles and this nematode. We determined and compared the prevalence of infection in dung beetles between rural, urban and periurban areas of Tshwane (Pretoria) Metropole. Dung beetles were sampled during April and October 2006, at various localities in each of these areas. Localities were selected on the basis of being focal areas of high infection with S. lupi in dogs. Pig, dog and cow dung-baited pitfall traps were used for sampling the beetles. Trap contents were collected 48 h after the traps had been set and only dung beetles were collected from the traps. In total, 453 specimens belonging to 18 species were collected from 63 pitfall traps in all three areas. The numbers of species that were collected varied among the three areas. Dung beetles, irrespective of species (18) and numbers (447), predominantly preferred pig dung. The prevalence of dung beetles infected with the larvae of S. lupi varied considerably in the three areas. In the urban area 13.5 % of the dung beetles dissected were infected, while the prevalence of S. lupi in dung beetles in the rural area was 2.3 %. All the dung beetles that were infected with this nematode showed a preference for omnivore (pig and dog) dung.

scholarly journals Seasonality of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in Atlantic Forest sites with different levels of disturbance in southern Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Cassenote ◽  
Pedro Giovâni da Silva ◽  
Rocco Alfredo Di Mare ◽  
Andressa Paladini
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Human Feces ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Biological Reserve

ABSTRACT Dung beetle species were collected between May 2016 and July 2017 with pitfall traps baited with human feces in four Atlantic Forest sites with different levels of disturbance in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. We sampled 5,535 individuals belonging to 46 species. Canthidium aff. trinodosum (20.71%), Eurysternus parallelus Castelnau, 1840 (14.82%), Onthophagus catharinensis Paulian, 1936 (12.09%), Scybalocanthon nigriceps (Harold, 1868) (7.61 %), Eurysternus caribaeus (Herbst, 1789) (7.49%), and Canthon rutilans cyanescens Harold, 1868 (7.22%) were the most abundant species, which represented 70% of the individuals sampled. Moreno Fortes Biological Reserve had the higher richness and Morro do Cerrito the higher abundance, while Val Feltrina presented the lowest values. The greatest similarity occurred between Turvo State Park and Moreno Fortes Biological Reserve, while Moreno Fortes Biological Reserve and Val Feltrina had the lowest similarity. Only 11 species (23.9%) occurred in all sites, while 14 species were restricted to only one of the fragments. Both abundance and richness of dung beetles were positively correlated with site temperature but not with precipitation.

scholarly journals Species composition and community structure of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) compared among savanna and forest formations in the southwestern Brazilian Cerrado

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jorge Luiz da Silva ◽  
Ricardo José da Silva ◽  
Izaias Médice Fernandes ◽  
Wesley Oliveira de Sousa ◽  
Fernando Zagury Vaz-de-Mello
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Gallery Forest ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Although dung beetles are important members of ecological communities and indicators of ecosystem quality, species diversity, and how it varies over space and habitat types, remains poorly understood in the Brazilian Cerrado. We compared dung beetle communities among plant formations in the Serra Azul State Park (SASP) in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Sampling (by baited pitfall and flight-interception traps) was carried out in 2012 in the Park in four habitat types: two different savanna formations (typical and open) and two forest formations (seasonally deciduous and gallery). A total of 5,400 individuals collected comprised 57 species in 22 genera. Typical savanna had the greatest species richness and abundance, followed by open savanna and deciduous forest, while the gallery forest had the fewest species but high abundance. Tunnelers (one of three main nesting behavior guilds) showed the greatest richness and abundance (except in the gallery forest, where one dweller species was extremely abundant) in all plant formations. We found that species richness and abundance of the dung beetle community are influenced by differences among plant formations. Habitat heterogeneity in the different plant formations along with anthropic influences (fire, habitat fragmentation) are cited as important factors that explain guild and species richness and distribution patterns. These results emphasize the importance of protected areas, such as SASP, for the maintenance and conservation of species diversity in the Brazilian Cerrado.

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