CHAPTER 11. Dung Beetles in Tropical Forests in Africa

Cambefort, Yves; Walter, Philippe

doi:10.1515/9781400862092.198

Cited by 53 publications

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“…The effects caused by brood parasites in our study areas and in other studies (e.g. Rougon and Rougon 1981), together with the occurrence of this interaction in a wide range of habitats, from northern temperate to tropical ecosystems (Howden 1955;Howden and Cartwright 1963;Hammond 1976;Klemperer 1980;Cambefort and Walter 1991;Martín-Piera and Lobo 1993), and the extent of kleptoparasites in the composition of local communities, involving as many as 10% of the species (Cambefort 1991), suggest that brood parasitism may constitute an important interaction in dung beetle assemblages. Therefore, the study of brood parasitism may open new perspectives in our understanding of population dynamics and community structure in dung beetles, as well as in diverse assemblages of insects and vertebrate animals.…”

Section: Parasite-host Interaction: Effects On Host Reproductive Successsupporting

confidence: 68%

Effects of brood parasitism on host reproductive success: evidence from larval interactions among dung beetles

González‐Megías

Sánchez‐Piñero

2003

Oecologia

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This paper investigates the effect of brood parasitism in a dung beetle assemblage in an arid region of Spain. The study was conducted during the spring season (March-May 1994-1998) using mesh cylinders buried into the ground, filled with sand and with sheep dung on top. We quantified the proportion of nests containing larvae of parasitic beetles and their effect on host larvae survival. Experiments on the effect of parasitic larvae on host-larvae survival were conducted by placing scarab brood masses (raised from captive scarabs in the laboratory) in containers with and without aphodiid larvae. During the spring, dung desiccation is rapid, preventing aphodiids nesting in the dung, and forcing these species to adopt brood parasitism as a nesting strategy. Parasitic aphodiids were found in 12-47% of scarab nests of three species. The incidence of brood parasitization was positively related with the number of brood masses contained in the nests, being also higher in the most abundant species. Field data and experiments showed that brood parasites significantly reduced host larvae survival from 74.8% in non-parasitized nests to 8.8% in parasitized nests. Because different rates of nest parasitization and mortality were caused by parasites, brood parasitism had a differential effect on different host species. Thus, brood parasitism constitutes an important mortality factor reducing the reproductive success of the host species and potentially affecting the beetle abundance in the area.

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Section: Parasite-host Interaction: Effects On Host Reproductive Successsupporting

confidence: 68%

Effects of brood parasitism on host reproductive success: evidence from larval interactions among dung beetles

González‐Megías

Sánchez‐Piñero

2003

Oecologia

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“…Dominance of tunnelers in forest and agri habitats, and the higher abundance of the cosmopolitian T. setosus is typical of dung beetle assemblages in the Western Ghats (Sabu et al 2006 and across the globe (Cambefort & Walter 1991;Andresen 2005). Disappearance leads to the question whether dominance of dweller guild with T. spinipes as prominent species is a feature of extremely disturbed habitats in the moist western slopes of the Western Ghats and Malabar coast region.…”

Section: O C H I C a N T H O N M U R T H Y Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity and community structure of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) associated with semi-urban fragmented agricultural land in the Malabar coast in southern India

Venugopal¹,

Thomas²,

Flemming³

2012

J. Threat. Taxa

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An evaluation of the diversity and community structure of dung beetles associated with semiurban agricultural land in the Malabar coast of southern India revealed that urbanization has led to decreased diversity compared to regional forests, and has affected the community status of dung beetles. However, contrary to expectations, species richness was observed to be equivalent to rural agricultural fields in the region. Low abundance of prominent agricultural habitat species indicates that the study area has changed as a result of habitat modification/urbanization, and the prevailing conditions are not ideal for the establishment of the most common species in agriculture belts. Prominence of two less common species, Tiniocellus spinipes and Caccobius vulcanus, indicates these generalist urban adaptable (synanthropic) species have become increasingly widespread and locally abundant. The low abundance of tunnelers and rollers is attributed to fragmentation of the urban agricultural belt, low mammalian diversity and dung availability, and the hard nature of the laterite soil in the Malabar coast region.

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“…In Australia, Onthophagus auritus, a native species usually collected in dog scats and carrions, demonstrated a preference for a microhabitat similar to O. coenobita, characterised by ''well shaded'' areas such as forests and woodlands on sandy and loamy soils (Faithfull, 1994). In Africa, many species of dung beetles are specialised to use only large herbivore dung pats, but other species are exclusively found on smaller and nitrogen rich faeces of omnivore mammals, with Onthophagus species having the latter preference (Cambefort and Walter, 1991). A recent study on the spotted hyaena scats in Ivory Coast showed that these are exploited mainly by few lamellicorn beetles (Omorgus, Anachalcos, Onthophagus) that feed on carrion or are at least facultatively necrophagous (Krell et al, 2003).…”

Section: Comparison With Other Communities and Similaritymentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in food resources and conservation of scarab beetles: from sheep to dog dung in a green urban area of Rome (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea)

Carpaneto

Mazziotta

Piattella

2005

Biological Conservation

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The aim of the research was to show how a change in land use influences the structure of a dung beetle assemblage and affect its\ud conservation. In the Pineto Urban Regional Park (Rome), dog dung is the sole food resource currently available for scarab dung\ud beetles, after the recent removal of wild and domestic herbivores. A one-year sampling was conducted to study the scarab assemblage\ud in dog scats (1999) and to compare it with the previous assemblage associated with sheep droppings (1986). Richness, evenness\ud and similarity parameters were compared between the two allochronic assemblages. From sheep to dog dung, an impoverishment of\ud the total richness was observed (from 19 to 9 species) together with an increase of individuals (by 7 times). Dog dung harboured 20%\ud of the current scarab dung beetle fauna of Rome, probably as a consequence of the dog mixed diet, rich in cellulose. Both the communities\ud showed a high percentage of tunnellers, probably because of the food shortage and, for dog scats, of the high dehydration\ud rate. A comparison with other Roman scarab communities enhanced that: (1) the change in food resource determined a higher difference\ud in species composition respect to other parameters (size and habitat diversity); (2) dog dung provided a temporary refuge for\ud species that otherwise may encounter local extinction in urban environments.\ud 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.\ud Keywords: Urban ecology; Community ecology; Biodiversity conservation; Food resources; Dung beetle assemblage

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CHAPTER 11. Dung Beetles in Tropical Forests in Africa

Cited by 53 publications

References 0 publications

Effects of brood parasitism on host reproductive success: evidence from larval interactions among dung beetles

Effects of brood parasitism on host reproductive success: evidence from larval interactions among dung beetles

Diversity and community structure of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) associated with semi-urban fragmented agricultural land in the Malabar coast in southern India

Changes in food resources and conservation of scarab beetles: from sheep to dog dung in a green urban area of Rome (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea)

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