A Comparison of Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Attraction to Native and Exotic Mammal Dung

Although the preference of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) for specific types and conditions of dung has been given substantial attention, little has been done to investigate the potential effects of exotic mammal introduction for game farms or rewilding projects. We used pitfall traps baite...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental entomology 2012-04, Vol.41 (2), p.238-244
Main Authors: Whipple, Sean D, Hoback, W. Wyatt
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Carnivores
Carrion
Coleoptera
Coleoptera - physiology
COMMUNITY AND ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY
Congeners
Diets
Dung
exotic species
Farms
Feces
feeding preference
Food Preferences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Herbivores
Insecta
Invertebrates
Mammalia
mammals
niche partitioning
Niches
North America
Nutrients
omnivores
Onthophagus
Pan troglodytes
Phanaeus
Pitfall traps
plains
Sampling
Scarabaeidae
Species Specificity
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Summary:Although the preference of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) for specific types and conditions of dung has been given substantial attention, little has been done to investigate the potential effects of exotic mammal introduction for game farms or rewilding projects. We used pitfall traps baited with various native and exotic herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore dung to evaluate dung beetle preference in the Great Plains of North America. Additionally, we analyzed of the nutrient quality of each dung type. In total, 9,089 dung beetles from 15 species were captured in 2 yr of sampling. We found significant differences (P < 0.05) in mean dung beetle capture among omnivore, herbivore, and carnivore dung, as well as differences in individual species preference for dung type. Omnivore dung was the most attractive with chimpanzee and human dung having the highest mean capture (291.1 ± 27.6 and 287.5 ± 28.5 respectively). Carrion also was highly attractive with a mean of 231.9 ± 20.6 beetles per trap (N = 8). Our results suggest definitive local preference of carrion in Phanaeus vindex Macleay and Onthophagus hecate (Panzer), while the congener, O. pennsylvanicus (Harold), was rarely captured in carrion and highly preferred omnivore dung. Preference for a specific bait type does not appear to be correlated with dung quality, mammalian diet, or origin of mammal. Results suggest niche segregation by dung type among dung beetle species.
ISSN:0046-225X
1938-2936
0046-225X
DOI:10.1603/EN11285