scholarly journals Habitat Types Effect on Diversity, Distribution and Abundance of Dung Beetles

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-224
Author(s):  
Nadia Noureen ◽  
Mubashar Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Faheem Malik ◽  
Muhammad Umar ◽  
Zaheer Abbas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
Mammalian Fauna ◽  
Natural Habitats

Dung beetles are ecologically important taxa to study the assessment of habitat modification and disturbance across the globe. This study was aimed to explore community composition, species richness and abundance of dung beetles in response to Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan. Dung beetle assemblage were sampled from four habitat (natural rangeland, cropland, roadside and housing colonies) during 2014-2016 by placing pitfall traps baited with cattle dung. A total number of 540 specimens representing 17 species belonging to seven genera and four tribes were collected. We calculated species relative abundance in natural habitat (34.8%), cropland habitat (40.4%) and in road side areas (25.2%) was recorded, whereas no specimens were recorded in urban areas. Aphodius contaminatus (42.96%) was the most abundant species followed by Onitis castaneous (26.29%) and Onitis singhalensis (20.74%). Tunnellers (50.58%) and dwellers (49.01%) were dominant in all habitats, whereas rollers were least abundant (1.37%). The values of Shannon-Wiener (H) diversity and evenness (E) showed variations among different habitats i.e. natural habitat (H=1.20; E=0.55), cropland habitat (H=1.41, E=0.32) and roads-side (H=0.80, E=0.37). The study showed that cropland served as a major habitat for dung beetles due to its uniformity and close association with mammalian fauna. The results emphasized that natural habitats within the agro-ecosystem have become isolated and fragmented habitat with lesser stability and low resources thus resulting into less diverse habitat. Roadside areas are in close proximity with cropland and act as corridors for efficient species flow within ecosystem due to cattle movement through these areas.      

Structure of local communities of endemic dung beetles in Madagascar

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Viljanen ◽  
Helena Wirta ◽  
Olivier Montreuil ◽  
Pierre Rahagalala ◽  
Steig Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Mammalian Fauna ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Total Fauna

Abstract:The wet tropical forests in Madagascar have endemic dung beetles that have radiated for tens of millions of years using a limited range of resources produced by the species-poor mammalian fauna. Beetles were trapped in two wet-forest localities over 4 years (6407 trap nights, 18,869 individuals). More limited data for six other local communities were used to check the generality of the results. Local communities are relatively species poor (around 30 species) in comparison with wet-forest-inhabiting dung beetle communities elsewhere in the tropics (typically 50 or more species). The species belong to only two tribes, Canthonini and Helictopleurina (Oniticellini), which have evolved, exceptionally for dung beetle tribes, completely nocturnal versus diurnal diel activities, respectively. Patterns in the elevational occurrence, body size and resource use suggest that interspecific competition restricts the numbers of locally coexisting species exploiting the limited range of resources that are available. On the other hand, regional turnover in the species composition is exceptionally high due to a large number of species with small geographical ranges, yielding a very large total fauna of dung beetles in Madagascar (>250 species). Apart from exceptionally low local (alpha) diversity and high beta diversity, the Malagasy dung beetle communities are ecologically distinctive from comparable communities in other tropical regions in having high numerical dominance of the most abundant species, small average body size and low degree of resource specialization.

scholarly journals Gastropods in the Intertidal Shore of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysian Borneo)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-23
Author(s):  
JOHN MADIN ◽  
BALU-ALAGAR VENMATHI MARAN ◽  
SUET-MUN HO
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Coral Rubble ◽  
Ecological Benefits ◽  
The City ◽  
Malaysian Borneo

Intertidal gastropods provide numerous ecological benefits and are responsible for the dynamics of the intertidal shores habitat and its community assemblages. This study examined the community structure of gastropods in the intertidal shore located near the city of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah where coastal areas are rapidly developed for various purposes and consequently destroying natural habitats.  A total of 36 gastropods species from 15 families were recorded.  The Planaxis sulcatus was the most abundant species with a density of 480 ind. m-2 followed by Nodilittorina pyramidalis (182 ind. m-2) and Cellana radiata (97 ind. m-2) respectively.  The number of species and their abundance, respectively, are almost three times lower than the number ever recorded for intertidal shores located in non-urban areas or remote locations.  This suggests that the rapidly growing coastal urban areas threatening the diversity and abundance of intertidal gastropods. The density of gastropod (i.e. P. sulcatus & N. pyramidalis) was significantly (p<0.05) high at the lower intertidal shore where slope gradient is steeper with rocks and crevices are the major component of substrates compared to the upper or middle zone which is flatter and composed mainly of coral rubble and sand. Our study suggests that gastropod communities in intertidal shores located adjacent to the urban areas are threatened especially by anthropogenic factors such as frequent human visitations and modification of natural habitat. Future development in the intertidal shore should minimise habitat destruction and should consider infrastructures that encourage gastropod populations to grow and highlighting their ecological role for conservation reasons.

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%.

scholarly journals Bees use anthropogenic habitats despite strong natural habitat preferences

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Á. Collado ◽  
Daniel Sol ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitats ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Northeast Usa

ABSTRACTHabitat loss and alteration is widely considered one of the main drivers of the current loss of pollinator diversity. Unfortunately, we still lack a comprehensive analysis of habitat importance, use and preference for major groups of pollinators. Here, we address this gap analysing a large dataset of 15,762 bee specimens (more than 400 species) across northeast USA. We found that natural habitats sustain the highest bee diversity, with many species strongly depending on such habitats. By characterizing habitat use and preference for the 45 most abundant species, we also show that many bee species can use human-altered habitats despite exhibiting strong and clear preferences for forested habitats. However, only a few species appear to do well when the habitat has been drastically modified. We conclude that although altered environments may harbor a substantial number of species, preserving natural areas is still essential to guarantee the conservation of bee biodiversity.

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.

Occurrence of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana in soils from temperate and near-northern habitats

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 1198-1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Bidochka ◽  
June E Kasperski ◽  
Geoffrey AM Wild
Keyword(s):  
Beauveria Bassiana ◽  
Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽  
Metarhizium Anisopliae ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Fungal Population ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Agricultural Habitat

The occurrence of deuteromycetous entomopathogenic fungi was examined in 266 soil samples representing 86 locations across temperate and near northern habitats in Ontario, Canada. Entomopathogenic fungi were isolated by baiting the soil with waxworm larvae, Galleria mellonella L., and incubating at 8, 15, or 25°C. Entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from 91% of the locations sampled across Ontario. The most abundant species were Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorok. (357 isolates) and Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (187 isolates). Thirteen isolates of Paecilomyces spp. were also found. Beauveria bassiana was isolated more frequently in soils from near northern locations, relative to M. anisopliae. Beauveria bassiana was isolated more frequently from larvae baited in soils incubated at 8 and 15°C, while M. anisopliae was isolated most frequently at 25°C. Thus, B. bassiana is more psychrophilic than M. anisopliae. From 47 of the locations in a temperate area (southern Ontario and the Kawartha Lakes region), two sites, one from an agricultural habitat and one from a natural habitat, were sampled within 1 km of each other. In these locations, B. bassiana was predominantly recovered more often from soils of natural habitats, while M. anisopliae was recovered more often in agricultural habitats. The occurrence of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana was not related to soil type or pH.Key words: Metarhizium, Beauveria, entomopathogenic fungi, fungal population biology, soil ecology.

Changes in dung beetle communities along a gradient of tropical forest disturbance in South-East Asia

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 677-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Ser Huay Lee ◽  
Ian Qian Wei Lee ◽  
Susan Lee-Hong Lim ◽  
Johannes Huijbregts ◽  
Navjot S. Sodhi
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Biodiversity Changes

With increasing conversion of South-East Asian forests to human-dominated landscapes, dramatic changes in biodiversity are likely to have ramifications on ecosystem processes (Sodhi & Brook 2006). Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) have been used to investigate how biodiversity changes affect ecosystem functions (Larsen et al. 2005, Slade et al. 2007). Dung beetles provide important ecosystem services such as dung removal and secondary seed dispersal (Nichols et al. 2008) and have been shown to be reliable indicators of tropical forest disturbance (Gardner et al. 2008, Klein 1989). Here, we determine the effects of forest disturbance on the species richness of dung beetles and ecosystem functions they perform in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. As far as we know, there has been no known study published on dung beetle ecology on the Malay Peninsula. In this study, we test the hypothesis that old-growth forests contain dung beetle communities of higher species richness, abundance, biomass and larger body size. Previous studies have shown that changes in dung beetle communities have the potential to disrupt ecosystem services in natural habitats (Larsen et al. 2005, Mittal 1993). We also investigate whether dung removal is affected by forest disturbance and test the hypothesis that dung removal is reduced in more disturbed forests compared with less-disturbed forests.

Notes on the size structure of a population of the Jacky Dragon Amphibolurus muricatus in a small fragmented urban remnant

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Hitchen ◽  
Shelley Burgin ◽  
Danny Wotherspoon
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Remnant Vegetation ◽  
Amphibolurus Muricatus ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Female Bias

The Jacky Dragon Amphibolurus muricatus (White, ex Shaw) is a widespread and abundant species in eastern Australia. Its range overlaps some of the more heavily populated urban areas of Australia where natural habitat is being rapidly lost and/or fragmented. We collected Jacky Dragons over four years in extremely fragmented native remnant vegetation at the edge of an urban golf course in Sydney. The size structure of the population remained similar over the study period. However, there was a lack of large individuals, both male and female. The sex ratio of adult males and females was equivalent rather than conform to the expectation that there would be more females than males in this temperature-dependent sex determined species. Increased sexual aggression and loss during migration were the most likely causes for the loss of larger individuals and for the loss of female bias. These imbalances are predicted to threaten the longer term viability of this urban reptile population.

Effects of introduced dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the breeding and abundance of the Australian bushfly, Musca vetustissimaWalker (Diptera: Muscidae)

1978 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Hughes ◽  
Marina Tyndale-Biscoe ◽  
Josephine Walker
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cattle Dung ◽  
High Level ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractIn laboratory experiments in Australia under standard conditions, densities of the dung beetle Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche) exceeding 150/1-litre pad of cattle dung were shown to suppress breeding of Musca vetustissima Wlk. The experiments also suggested that it was the effect of dung disturbance on the survival of eggs of the fly that led to suppression. Natural vaiation in the quality of cattle dung obscured but did not alter the effects of high beetle densities. The mobility of M. vetustissima in particular, obscured the relationship of its abundance to dung beetle numbers in the field in 1974–75 and 1975–77 an intial high level of flies was apparently reduced and suppressed by a seasonally late but otherwise similar level of beetle attack on dung pads.

Trait responses of Peninsular Malaysian dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) to the loss of megafauna dung

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-41
Author(s):  
Thary Gazi Goh ◽  
Rosli Hashim
Keyword(s):  
Resource Availability ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Phenotypic Change ◽  
Phenotypic Changes ◽  
Proxy Measure ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Intraspecific Difference

AbstractThe extinction of megafauna may lead to the trophic collapse of ecosystems that depend on the dung that they produce. Some dung beetle species may undergo phenotypic changes in response to altered resource availability. The pronotal width of dung beetles is a trait that can be used as a proxy measure for the amount of dung provisioned during the larval stage. In this study conducted in Peninsular Malaysia, we compare the intraspecific difference in pronotal widths of dung beetles in forests with and without megafauna. Beetles were collected using burrowing interception traps baited with elephant dung. Six species with a minimum sample size of 55 beetles per species were used. Pronotum widths were compared using Bayesian estimation (BEST). There was no credible difference between intraspecific pronotal widths of four species, but credible differences between the mean parameters of two species, Liatongus femoratus and Oniticellus tessellatus. Both these species belong to genera that have a close association with megafauna, while the other are believed to be generalists. This may indicate that species that depend on megafauna dung as a breeding resource undergo a phenotypic change following the loss of their preferred dung type. Phenotypic changes appear to be a pathway which allows species to survive the initial trophic collapse of an ecosystem.

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