Seasonal Occurrence (Phenology) of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Hydrophilidae) from Cattle and Sheep Farms in Southeastern Michigan, USA

Wassmer, Thomas

doi:10.1649/072.068.0327

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…In contrast to their observations, low precipitation at maximum temperatures of more than 30 • C did not lead to reduced beetle counts in the current study. The difference cannot be attributed to differences in the sampling technique as previously suggested (Wassmer, 2014) as the current study used a similar sampling technique as the study from North Carolina. Instead the difference is more likely due to the geographically more Northern location of the current study site (approx.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Despite their ecological and economic importance (Beynon et al, 2015), there are astonishingly few studies describing the phenology of local dung beetle communities, especially in North America. Only two studies provide data about dung beetle phenology in Michigan (Rounds and Floate, 2012;Wassmer, 2014) and only a few others from the Midwest of the United States (Kriska and Young, 2002;Worthington and Larsen, 2010). The first objective of this study was therefore to provide data to the insufficiently known phenology of coprophilous beetles from the Midwest of the United States.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year

Wassmer

2020

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The seasonal occurrence of species and timing of key events in their life (phenology) affects the ecology and evolution of every species, population, and species community (SC) on Earth. Shifting phenologies and mismatches between species may affect range limits and lead to extinctions and biodiversity loss, which are especially concerning in ecologically and economically important SCs like coprophilous beetles. This study provides phenological data for many species of coprophilous beetles from the Midwestern region of the United States, includes the often-missing winter months, and compares the seasonal and successional differences between the "relocator" and "dweller" guilds. Beetles were sampled biweekly throughout the year from a 3.8 ha Farm in Adrian, SE-Michigan using 15 pitfall traps baited with cow manure. Samples were collected after 48 h and again after 72 h exposure time. Over the entire year, I caught 6,069 specimens from 24 species of Scarabaeoidea and 13 species of Hydrophilidae. The ROSARIO null model for continuous temporal data suggested a significant seasonal overlap of the SC (p < 0.0001) and a cluster analysis based on Pianka's niche overlap index identified five clusters at a minimum overlap of 55% falling into three major phenological guilds. "Relocators" (6 Scarabaeinae, 2 Aphodiinae species) overlapped on average by 48.4%, whereas "dwellers" (9 Aphodiinae, 10 Hydrophilidae species) overlapped by 36.0% (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.055). Small Hydrophilidae dwellers overlapped by 30.9% whereas large hydrophilid dwellers overlapped by 96.9%. Individual phenological patterns were compared to other sites in North America and Europe and predictions about geographical and phenological changes due to the manmade climate crisis and habitat loss and fragmentation are discussed. Differences between the seasonal overlaps of "relocators" and "dwellers" as well as small and large Onthophagus relocators and Hydrophilidae dwellers are suggesting profound ecological differences between the guilds and sub-guilds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year

Wassmer

2020

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…In addition, the temperature-based separation of beetles and flies also applies in the Mediterranean region, since high temperatures could be lethal to dung relocating beetles if they do not possess any heat-regulating ability [31]. Finally, the seasonality based upon temperature tolerance would be a very simple explanation as to why the European species display an identical seasonal pattern in artificially-formed communities in North America in which the majority of species are immigrants from Europe [42, 77]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal Segregation between Dung-Inhabiting Beetle and Fly Species

et al. 2017

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The coexistence of ecologically similar species (i.e. species utilizing the same resource) is a major topic in ecology. Communities are assembled either through the biotic interactions of ecologically similar species, e.g. competition, or by the abiotic separation of species along gradients of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated the temporal segregation, succession and seasonality of dung-inhabiting Coleoptera and Diptera that utilize an identical resource in exactly the same way. The data were collected from two temperate pastures, one in the United Kingdom and the second in the Czech Republic. There was no evident temporal separation between ecologically similar coleopterous or dipterous taxa during succession. In contrast, these two orders were almost perfectly separated seasonally in both combined and site-specific datasets. Flies were most abundant in the summer, and beetles were more abundant in the spring and autumn. Ecologically similar beetles and flies also displayed seasonal separation in both combined and site-specific data. Analyses within site-specific data sets revealed such a separation at both the order and species level. Season is therefore the main temporal axis separating ecologically similar species of dung-inhabiting insects in temperate habitats, while succession aggregates species that may have similar environmental tolerances (to e.g. dung moisture). This separation between ecologically similar taxa of beetles and flies may be attributable to either competition-based niche separation or to temperature tolerance-based habitat filtering, since flies have peak activity in warmer months while beetles have peak activity in cooler months.

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“…In North Carolina, beetle activity greatly diminished at temperatures below 10°C, as well as in dry, hot conditions or very wet spells (Bertone et al 2005). Further north, in the more continental climates of Alberta and Michigan, beetle activity extended from early March to late November, with the main period of activity ranging from May to July (Floate & Gill 1998;Kadiri et al, 2014;Wassmer 2014).…”

Section: Environmental Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dung fungi as a proxy for megaherbivores: opportunities and limitations for archaeological applications

Perrotti

Asperen

2018

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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The use of spores of coprophilous fungi from sedimentary sequences as proxy evidence for large herbivore abundance has garnered pronounced attention and scrutiny over the past three decades. In response to the rapid rate at which new information is being discovered on this topic, this paper presents a brief review of the archaeological applications so far, and outlines opportunities and limitations of using Sporormiella as a proxy for herbivore abundance. Specific archaeological uses of this proxy include understanding megaherbivore extinctions and human land use patterns such as pastoralism and agriculture. We analyze how dung fungal records are formed and review the mycological literature to outline factors affecting spore reproduction and preservation. These include how strongly each commonly used dung fungal taxon relies on dung as a substrate and environmental factors affecting dung fungal reproduction and coprophilous fungi deposition. Certain laboratory preparation techniques adversely affect spore representation on pollen slides. The methods of analysis and quantification of spore records also impact on our understanding. We describe good practice to increase precision of analytical methods. Due to limitations imposed by some of these factors, it is possible that an absence of dung fungi from a palaeoecological record does not imply an absence of herbivores. However, consideration of these factors and inclusion of as wide a range of coprophilous spore records as possible increases the reliability of such inferences.

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Seasonal Occurrence (Phenology) of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Hydrophilidae) from Cattle and Sheep Farms in Southeastern Michigan, USA

Cited by 9 publications

References 57 publications

Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year

Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year

Temporal Segregation between Dung-Inhabiting Beetle and Fly Species

Dung fungi as a proxy for megaherbivores: opportunities and limitations for archaeological applications

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