Vertical stratification of dung beetles in young secondary forests of Singapore

Rahman, Ita Liana Abdul; Yap, Sean; Goh, Thary Gazi; Toh, Kai Xin; Yee, Qian Qi Hillary; Puniamoorthy, Nalini

doi:10.1111/btp.13000

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 57 publications

(68 reference statements)

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“…Due to the close geographical proximity of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, most climatic variables such as rainfall and temperature do not significantly differ, with both countries subject to similar patterns of monsoon seasons. A previous study including sites from MY and SG also did not find environmental variables such as temperature and humidity to significantly affect differences in species diversity between SG and MY (Abdul Rahman et al, 2021 ). As for possible cryptic species, O. babirussa is morphologically and molecularly distinct in SG based on our barcoding results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Sexual size dimorphism and male reproductive traits vary across populations of a tropical rainforest dung beetle species (Onthophagus babirussa)

Toh

Yap

Goh

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) arises when natural selection and sexual selection act differently on males and females. Male‐biased SSD is rarer in insects and usually indicates strong sexual selection pressure on male body size in a species. Patterns of SSD can also vary between populations of species that are exposed to different environmental conditions, such as differing resource availability and diversity. Here, we investigate intraspecific variation in SSD as well as relative investment in precopulatory (horn length) and postcopulatory traits (sperm length and testes weight) in a tropical rainforest dung beetle Onthophagus babirussa across Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. Overall, three out of four populations displayed significant male‐biased SSD, and SSD was greater in populations with smaller overall body size. Average male body size was similar across all populations while female body size was significantly smaller in Singapore, suggesting that the pronounced SSD may also be due to stronger sexual selection on male body size in Singapore populations. All populations showed significant investment in horns as a weapon likely used in male‐male competition, while postcopulatory traits showed no clear scaling relationship with body size, suggesting a higher priority on precopulatory sexual traits in the mating system of this species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Sexual size dimorphism and male reproductive traits vary across populations of a tropical rainforest dung beetle species (Onthophagus babirussa)

Toh

Yap

Goh

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Given the competitive nature between species that is common in tropical forests, the existence of arboreal beetles highlights the competition for one of their main resources: monkey feces. Borneo is characterized by the diversity of the resources exploited by beetles (Abdul Rahman et al, 2021). The genus Onthophagus, which comprises most beetle species (632) in Sabah Malasyan, Borneo, includes six fruit-eating species, among them one that consumes fruits while these still are hanging from tree branches (the other fruit-eating beetles consume fruits that have fallen to the ground) .…”

Section: Borneomentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationships between dung beetles and monkeys in the Neotropical region

Halffter,

Favila

2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The relationship between dung beetles and arboreal mammals has been scarcely studied, and many of the reports refer to observations without a standardized methodology. The accelerated loss of tropical forests urges us to understand this mutualistic association. Using our studies on arboreal dung beetles in the Palenque Archaeological Zone-National Park, Mexico, as a baseline, we analyzed the information on arboreal dung beetles in Neotropical forests in Mexico and around the world. Canthon euryscelis Bates, 1867, Canthon angustatus Harold, 1867, Canthon subhyalinus Harold, 1867, and Canthon femoralis (Chevrolat, 1834) are the main species collected in trees of Palenque, Onthophagus maya Zunino, 1981 and other non-Scarabaeinae species were occasionally collected from trees in Palenque. The small Canthon species are skilled fliers strongly relationship with monkeys in Palenque and other tropical regions of Mexico and Central America. In South America, arboreal dung beetles are more diverse and include these and other dung beetle species associated with monkeys. Several dung beetle species of the genus Onthophagus have been reported in association with African monkeys. In India, several studies report a wide variety of dung beetle species associated with monkeys. In Australia and New Guinea, only some species of Macropocopris are described as being associated with arboreal monkeys, but in Borneo, several dung beetle species have been observed associated with arboreal monkeys, mostly in managed forests. In Madagascar, Arachnoides gandi is the only beetle species reported in trees. We need to formulate a systematic and comparative methodology to understand better how arboreal beetles search for food, where the food is located, and how brood balls are made, how male-female pairs meet and nest, and how they contribute to arboreal dung recycling.

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“…Moreover, it can reduce visibility to potential predators, such as birds (Young, 2015), increasing the safety of the dung beetles inhabiting the understory. Species that perch in the canopy can access resources, such as feces found on leaves, that would otherwise be out of reach for non‐perching species (Rahman et al., 2021). Therefore, if C. triangularis happens to be one of the few species that perch or fly high in the canopy, it can potentially exploit resources that others cannot access.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insularization drives physiological condition of Amazonian dung beetles

de Cerqueira,

González Tokman,

Correa

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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The fragmentation and degradation of otherwise continuous natural landscapes pose serious threats to the health of animal populations, consequently impairing their fitness and survival. While most fragmentation ecology studies focus on habitat remnants embedded withinn terrestrial matrices, the effects of true insularization remains poorly understood. Land‐bridge islands created by major dams leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, negatively affecting terrestrial biodiversity. To assess the effects of insularization, we conducted a study on the key aspects of dung beetle physiological condition and body size throughout the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir located in the Central Amazon. We assessed these traits at the population and assemblage levels, collecting dung beetles from both forest islands and continuous forest areas while analyzing various landscape variables. We show that landscapes with higher forest cover positively affected dung beetle body size. Interestingly, dung beetle responses to insularization were species‐dependent; larger islands tended to host larger individuals of Deltochilum aspericole, while in Canthon triangularis, smaller islands showed larger body sizes. However, individuals from the mainland were larger than those from the islands. Moreover, the proportion of closed‐canopy forest in the landscapes also impacted physiological attributes. It negatively affected the body size of Deltochilum aspericole and the lipid mass of Dichotomius boreus, but positively affected the lipid mass of Canthon triangularis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how habitat fragmentation in aquatic matrices affects the size structure and physiology of insect assemblages. This is essential in formulating effective conservation strategies for preserving biodiversity loss in tropical forest regions and mitigating the consequences of hydropower infrastructure.

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Vertical stratification of dung beetles in young secondary forests of Singapore

Cited by 5 publications

References 57 publications

Sexual size dimorphism and male reproductive traits vary across populations of a tropical rainforest dung beetle species (Onthophagus babirussa)

Sexual size dimorphism and male reproductive traits vary across populations of a tropical rainforest dung beetle species (Onthophagus babirussa)

The relationships between dung beetles and monkeys in the Neotropical region

Insularization drives physiological condition of Amazonian dung beetles

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