Evaluación del estiércol de mamíferos nativos como potenciales atrayentes para el muestreo de escarabajos coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae)

Abstract

Mammalian dung represents a primary feeding and reproductive resource for most dung beetle species. Competition for the trophic resource is common among the subfamily Scarabaeinae showing different habits depending on the quantity and quality of food available. In this study, we evaluated the dung of six species of mammal native to Chiapas (Mexico) as attractants for sampling dung beetles. The six species have different feeding habits (carnivores, herbivores and omnivores) and the feces used were obtained from Zoo animals fed a standard diet. Sampling efficiency was over 99% for each of the attractants. Tapirus bairdii feces attracted the highest abundance, while Canis latrans attracted the highest richness and diversity was higher in Procyon lotor. The captured species showed no affinity for a specific attractant, and differences in richness, abundance, diversity, and species composition between baits were largely non-significant. These results suggest that when food availability is high, Scarabaeinae assemblages maintain very abundant populations with generalists feeding habits. However, other aspects such as the quality and quantity (volume) of the food may be important when choosing a resource. Hence, the use of different types of attractants that meet these characteristics offers the possibility of improving results in the monitoring of dung beetle communities in tropical forests, allowing the capture of those inconspicuous or rare species that inhabit the landscape.

Habitat type affects the structure but not the composition of dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) assemblages in a tropical deciduous forest of southeastern Mexico

“…2013; Rodríguez-López et al. 2021a). In addition, the isolation and reduction of forest fragments in the region do not allow the maintenance of large populations of herbivorous vertebrates (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas 2012), which limits the availability of this dung resource.…”

“…2018, 2021; Rodríguez-López et al. 2021a) but similarly makes use of other resources that are unusual for most Scarabaeinae species, including injured millipedes and their carcasses (Sánchez-Hernández et al. 2019b; Rodríguez-López et al.…”

“…Finally, another important factor that could substantially contribute to this homogeneity is the use of cattle dung in the samplings. This attractant is generally much less effective than the dung of omnivorous mammals (mainly human excrement), which attract a greater number of species than carnivorous and herbivorous mammal dung, does especially in forest habitats (Filgueiras et al 2009;Marsh et al 2013;Rodríguez-López et al 2021a). In addition, the isolation and reduction of forest fragments in the region do not allow the maintenance of large populations of herbivorous vertebrates (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas 2012), which limits the availability of this dung resource.…”

“…For example, Canthon vazquezae appears to adapt to dominant habitat conditions due to its trophic breadth. It has been collected in a wide variety of habitats and is attracted to both carrion and different types of dung from herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous mammals Rodríguez-López et al 2021a) but similarly makes use of other resources that are unusual for most Scarabaeinae species, including injured millipedes and their carcasses (Sánchez-Hernández et al 2019b;Rodríguez-López et al 2021b). Canthon femoralis is abundant in continuous forests (Rivera et al 2020) but is also commonly found in habitats with different types of human intervention near forest areas .…”

Diversidad de escarabajos micetófilos a lo largo de un gradiente altitudinal de la región central de Chiapas, México

“…En este sentido, la dominancia de especies como P. chiapanecus (citada como P. endymion), se debe a sus hábitos alimenticios generalistas con una amplia plasticidad dietética (Rodríguez-López et al, 2021;Sánchez-Hernández et al, 2021), además está ampliamente distribuida en los bosques caducifolios de la Depresión Central de Chiapas, principalmente en áreas de vegetación secundaria y zonas con diferentes grados de alteración (Arellano et al, 2013;Moctezuma & Halffter, 2021;Sánchez-Hernández et al, 2022). Por su parte, O. anthracinus presenta una amplia tolerancia ambiental, ya que se encuentra en diversos hábitats alterados y en un extenso rango altitudinal (Arriaga-Jiménez et al, 2020;Sánchez-Hernández et al, 2022).…”