@article {1339, title = {Dung beetle community (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) in a tropical landscape at the Lachua Region, Guatemala}, journal = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, note = {917XYBIODIVERS CONSERV}, month = {Apr}, pages = {801-822}, abstract = {Biological diversity conservation within natural reserves has been prioritized, but conservation efforts outside protected areas (where most human activities take place) have been very little considered. In this scenario, an alternative agricultural practice that may reduce the impacts of fragmentation in outer landscapes is a perforation process, which involves conservation in agricultural fields surrounded by continuous forests. Such practices enhance the positive impact of ecological services on fields. In this study we analyzed the biological diversity state in perforation fields and their surrounding forests. The analysis was done using dung beetles as biological indicators. A nested pattern in dung beetles distribution was found, which ordered the surrounding continuous forest sites as the ones with the highest species richness, followed by the perforation fields, and placed the fragmentation practice fields (continuous agricultural fields surrounding forest patches) with the lowest one. Indicator species for perforation fields and surrounding continuous forests were chosen. In general, perforation practice fields differed in composition, based upon functional groups richness and identity; it also contained a higher species richness than the fragmentation practice. Agricultural practices that enhance biological diversity conservation such as perforation, should be recommended and considered in natural resource management by local communities in order to take advantage of ecological services that otherwise may be gradually lost.}, keywords = {biological diversity, Dung beetles, fragmentation, functional groups, landscape, nestedness, perforation practice}, url = {://000228503800002}, author = {Avendano-Mendoza, Carlos and Moron-Rios, Alejandro and Cano, Enio B. and Leon-Cortes, Jorge L.} } @article {1343, title = {Effects of paracoprid dung beetles (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae) on the growth of pasture herbage and on the underlying soil}, journal = {Applied Soil Ecology}, volume = {29}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL\&_udi=B6T4B-4F29SYH-1\&_user=686380\&_rdoc=1\&_fmt=\&_orig=search\&_sort=d\&view=c\&_acct=C000037521\&_version=1\&_urlVersion=0\&_userid=686380\&md5=f15c8507f0daa16078938ddb5d646133julio has hard copy}, month = {Jun}, pages = {165-171}, abstract = {Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine effects of three paracoprid dung beetles, Copris ochus (Motschulsky), Copris tripartitus Waterhouse and Onthophagus lenzii Harold, on the growth of pasture herbage and physical characteristics of the underlying soil. Treatments consisted of beetles plus dung, dung only and controls with neither dung nor beetles present. In the field in 2001, higher herbage yields were obtained with O. lenzii >= C. ochus = C. tripartitus >= only dung = control after 5 months. The air permeability of soil at a depth of 10 cm was highest when C. ochus was present (0.56 cm h(-1)), and lowest in the control (0.38 cm h(-1)). However, no significant differences were found among treatments in air permeability at 20 cm. In 2002/2003, the presence of all three species of dung beetle together was associated with higher herbage yields and with higher percentage nitrogen content than the control. In the laboratory, the presence of C. ochus and C. tripartitus was found to increase significantly the total crude protein in grass shoots and total digestible nutrient, compared with the control. The digestibility, dry intake and relative feed value of perennial ryegrass were highest where feces had been buried by O. lenzii. Acid detergent fiber was low in all treatments. The data suggest that the tunneling of paracoprid beetles improves the physicochemical characteristics of soil and increases the feed value of herbage by mixing and incorporating organic matter into the soil.}, keywords = {aphodius, cattle dung, cow dung, Dung beetles, earthworms, ecological function, ecosystem services, feed value, herbage yield, nitrogen, soil aeration}, url = {://000229792300006 }, author = {Bang, Hea Son and Lee, Joon-Ho and Kwon, Oh Seok and Na, Young Eun and Jang, Yong Seon and Kim, Won Ho} } @article {1587, title = {Altitudinal variation of dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) assemblages in the Colombian Andes}, journal = {Global Ecology and Biogeography}, volume = {14}, year = {2005}, pages = {327-337}, keywords = {Altitudinal distribution, Colombian Andes, composition, diversity, Dung beetles, Scarabaeinae, species co-occurrence}, author = {Escobar S. , Federico and Lobo, Jorge M. and Halffter, Gonzalo} } @article {1847, title = {Stridulation in Aphodius dung beetles: songs and morphology of stridulatory organs in Noth American Aphodius species (Scarabaeidae)}, journal = {Journal of Natural History}, volume = {39}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, pages = {91-99}, abstract = {The acousticbehaviouroffourAphodiusdungbeetlespeciesfromthePacificNorthwestoftheUSA wasinvestigated.MaleAphodiusproducesubstratevibrationswhentheymeetaconspecificfemalein a dung pat. The temporal structure of the substrate vibrations andthe stridulatory organs are described. The vibrations are species-specific songs that are emitted during courtship. The stridulatoryorganisoftheabdomino-larytypeintheinvestigatedspecies.Morphologicaldifferences withregardtothedetailedstructurearepresent. }, keywords = {aphodius, Dung beetles, Scarabaeidae, stridulation}, isbn = {0022-2933 print1464-5262}, author = {Kasper, Julia and Hirschberger, Petra} } @article {1899, title = {Horn size predicts physical performance in the beetle Euoniticellus intermedius (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae)}, journal = {Functional Ecology}, volume = {19}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {Aug}, pages = {632-639}, abstract = {1. In many animals, the size of secondary sexual ornaments is known to be related to the probability of victory in fights between males, and hence to fighting ability. However, few studies have attempted to link fighting ability to any physical performance measures. 2. Here we show that horn size in the dung beetle Euoniticellus intermedius accurately predicts two types of whole-organism performance, independent of body size, that are likely to play an important role in male contests: the force required to pull a beetle out of a tunnel, and the distance the beetle was able to run before exhaustion (maximum exertion). 3. Body length is also a statistically significant predictor of pulling force, but not of exertion, suggesting that horn size is a more reliable predictor of performance than body size alone, a result that is consistent with a previous finding that horn size becomes more important in determining victory in male-male contests as body size increases. 4. This study is the first to establish direct links between whole-organism performance abilities, male armaments and fighting ability in the same species. Our findings suggest that physiological performance capacities are important factors underlying the evolution of signal expression in E. intermedius, and should be considered in future studies of the evolution of animal signalling.}, keywords = {ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS, anolis lizards, dimorphic male beetles, Dung beetles, energy-metabolism, hermit-crab fights, locomotor performance, male combat, onthophagus-acuminatus coleoptera, signalling, social-dominance, whole-organism performance}, url = {://000231397300011 }, author = {Lailvaux, S. P. and Hathway, J. and Pomfret, J. and Knell, R. J.} } @article {1598, title = {Are fungivorous Scarabaeidae less specialist?}, journal = {Ecologia Austral}, volume = {15}, year = {2005}, month = {June}, pages = {17-22}, abstract = {In a tropical forest patch of Southeastern Brazil, adult Scarabaeidae beetles were used to test the hypothesis that fungivorous guilds have a higher proportion of generalist species than either frugivorous, necrophagous or coprophagous ones. No significant differences were found between guilds in relation to either the proportion of generalists or niche breadths of the component species. Only two fungivorous specialist species were sampled. These results indicate that sporocarps eaten by Scarabaeidae are not as rare as literature suggests. Fungi may help maintain high species diversity of Scarabaeidae in tropical forests. }, keywords = {Dung beetles, food resource, fungivory, mycophagy, rainforest}, author = {Falqueto, Silvia A. and Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z. and Schoereder, Jose H.} } @article {1610, title = {The role of clumped defecation in the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and the availability of nutrients for plant uptake}, journal = {Journal of Tropical Ecology}, volume = {21}, year = {2005}, note = {Times Cited: 1Cited Reference Count: 21Cited References: ABRAMS MM, 1992, SOIL SCI SOC AM J, V56, P1532 ALVAREZ E, 1986, INTERCIENCIA, V11, P325 ANDRESEN E, 2001, J TROP ECOL 1, V17, P61 ANDRESEN E, 2002, BIOTROPICA, V34, P261 BINKLEY D, 1983, SOIL SCI SOC AM J, V47, P1050 BRIDGHAM SD, 2001, SOIL SCI SOC AM J, V65, P259 COOPERBAND LR, 1994, SOIL SCI SOC AM J, V58, P105 ESTRADA A, 1984, AM J PRIMATOL, V6, P77 ESTRADA A, 1991, J TROP ECOL, V7, P459 FORDE B, 2001, PLANT SOIL, V232, P51 GILBERT KA, 1997, ANIM BEHAV 2, V54, P451 GOWER ST, 1987, BIOTROPICA, V19, P171 HUBER O, 1986, INTERCIENCIA, V11, P301 JULLIOT C, 1996, INT J PRIMATOL, V17, P239 MILTON K, 1980, PHYSIOL ZOOL, V53, P402 NAGY KA, 1979, OECOLOGIA, V39, P249 OSTERTAG R, 2001, ECOLOGY, V82, P485 SUBLER S, 1995, SOIL BIOL BIOCHEM, V27, P911 TAN KH, 1996, SOIL SAMPLING PREPAR TERBORGH J, 1997, ECOLOGY, V78, P1494 VITOUSEK PM, 1986, ANNU REV ECOL SYST, V17, P137EnglishArticleJ TROP ECOLPart 1898NL}, month = {Jan}, pages = {99-102}, keywords = {Alouatta seniculus, anion-exchange, clumped defecation, Dung beetles, howler monkeys, Lake Guri, latrine, los-tuxtlas, membranes, monkeys alouatta-palliata, nutrient cycling, phosphorus, seed dispersal, tropical rain-forest, Venezuela, wild howler monkeys}, url = {://000227083400011}, author = {Feeley, K.} } @article {1776, title = {Are ball-rolling (Scarabaeini, Gymnopleurini, Sisyphini) and tunnelling scarabaeine dung beetles equally choosy about the size of ingested dung particles?}, journal = {Ecological Entomology}, volume = {30}, year = {2005}, pages = {700-705}, abstract = {1. The maximum size of ingested particles was determined in 11 species of ball-rolling, adult dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) by mixing small latex or glass balls of known diameter into their food. The tribes Scarabaeini, Gymnopleurini, and Sisyphini (four, four, and three species respec- tively) were represented, with mean body sizes ranging from 0.33 to 4.0 g fresh weight. 2. Only particles with maximum diameters of 4{\textendash}85 mm were ingested. Hence rollers, like other known beetles feeding on fresh dung, filter out larger, indiges- tible plant fragments and confine ingestion to small particles of higher nutritional value. 3. The maximum diameter of ingested particles increased significantly with body weight, whereas taxon (tribe) had no additional effect. Because big rollers accept larger particles than do tunnellers (which make dung stores for feeding and breeding in the soil immediately below the pat) of similar weight, the slope of the diameter-against-weight regression for rollers was significantly higher than that found earlier for tunnellers. 4. An explanation could be that a typical food ball made by a roller is con- siderably smaller than the amount of dung available to a feeding tunneller of the same size. If the roller were as choosy about particle size as the tunneller, it might not get enough food. This applies to large rollers in particular because their food balls contain a higher proportion of coarse fibres than those made by small species. }, keywords = {Ball-rollers, Dung beetles, food exploitation, particle feeding, rollers, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, telecoprids}, author = {Holter, P. and Scholtz, Clarke H.} } @article {2001, title = {Influence of faeces on seed removal from gibbon droppings in a dipterocarp forest in Central Borneo}, journal = {Journal of Tropical Ecology}, volume = {21}, year = {2005}, pages = {117-120}, keywords = {Borneo, civet, Dung beetles, gibbon, Indonesia, rodent, seed predation, Sus barbatus}, author = {McConkey, Kim R.} } @article {2038, title = {DNA-based species delineation in tropical beetles using mitochondrial and nuclear markers}, journal = {Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences}, volume = {360}, number = {1462}, year = {2005}, note = {PDF}, month = {Oct}, pages = {1925-1933}, abstract = {DNA barcoding has been successfully implemented in the identification of previously described species, and in the process has revealed several cryptic species. It has been noted that such methods could also greatly assist in the discovery and delineation of undescribed species in poorly studied groups, although to date the feasibility of such an approach has not been examined explicitly. Here, we investigate the possibility of using short mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences to delimit putative species in groups lacking an existing taxonomic framework. We focussed on poorly known tropical water beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae) from Madagascar and dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) in the genus Canthon from the Neotropics. Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation proved to be highly structured, with > 95\% of the observed variation existing between discrete sets of very closely related genotypes. Sequence variation in nuclear 28S rRNA among the same individuals was lower by at least an order of magnitude, but 16 different genotypes were found in water beetles and 12 genotypes in Canthon, differing from each other by a minimum of two base pairs. The distribution of these 28S rRNA genotypes in individuals exactly matched the distribution of mtDNA clusters, suggesting that mtDNA patterns were not misleading because of introgression. Moreover, in a few cases where sequence information was available in GenBank for morphologically defined species of Canthon, these matched some of the DNA-based clusters. These findings demonstrate that clusters of close relatives can be identified readily in the sequence variation obtained in field collected samples, and that these clusters are likely to correspond to either previously described or unknown species. The results suggest that DNA-assisted taxonomy will not require more than a short fragment of mtDNA to provide a largely accurate picture of species boundaries in these groups. Applied on a large scale, this DNA-based approach could greatly improve the rate of species discovery in the large assemblages of insects that remain undescribed.}, keywords = {Dung beetles}, url = {://000232719300013 }, author = {Monaghan, M. T. and Balke, M. and Gregory, T. R. and Vogler, A. P.} } @article {2087, title = {Food relocation and nesting behavior of the Argentinian dung beetle genus Eucranium and comparison with the southwest African Scarabaeus (Pachysoma) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)}, journal = {Revista Sociedad Entomologica Argentina}, volume = {64}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, pages = {53-59}, abstract = {The food relocation and nesting behavior of the South American genus Eucranium Brullé is described based on observations carried out under natural conditions. Food preference, food transportation, period of surface activity, and habitat preference are described for two species, E. arachnoides Brullé and E. planicolle Burmeister. The biology and food relocation behavior of Eucranium is compared with that of the morphologically similar South African subgenus Scarabaeus (Pachysoma) MacLeay. The convergent adaptations to psamophilous habitats of Eucranium and S. (Pachysoma) are discussed. }, keywords = {behavior, Dung beetles, endemism, FOOD RELOCATION, xeric habitat}, author = {Ocampo, Federico C. and Philips, T. Keith} } @article {2106, title = {Frog, Bat and Dung Beetle Diversity in the Cloud Forest and Coffee Agroecosystems of Veracruz, Mexico}, journal = {Conservation Biology}, volume = {19}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {digital and hard copy}, pages = {400-410}, keywords = {agroforestry (biological conservation 2007), cloud forest, Disturbance, Dung beetles, fragmentation, Mexico, multi-taxa, polyagroforestry, Veracruz}, author = {Pineda, Eduardo and Moreno, Claudia and Escobar, Frederico and Halffter, Gonzalo} } @article {2118, title = {Rapid recovery of dung beetle communities following habitat fragmentation in Central Amazonia}, journal = {Ecology }, volume = {86}, number = {12}, year = {2005}, note = {digital copy}, pages = {3303-3311}, keywords = {brazil, Disturbance, Dung beetles, faunal collapse (biological conservation 2007), fragmentation, klein, manaus, recovery}, author = {Quintero, Ingrid and Roslin, Tomas} } @article {2201, title = {Changes of dung beetle communities from rainforests towards agroforestry systems and annual cultures in Sulawesi (Indonesia)}, journal = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, note = {917XYBIODIVERS CONSERV}, month = {Apr}, pages = {863-877}, abstract = {Little is known about how tropical land-use systems contribute to the conservation of functionally important insect groups, including dung beetles. In a study at the margin of Lore Lindu National Park (a biodiversity hotspot in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia) dung-beetle communities were sampled in natural forest, young secondary forest, agroforestry systems (cacao plantations with shade trees) and annual cultures (maize fields), each with four replicates (n = 16 sites). At each site we used 10 pitfall traps, baited with cattle dung, along a 100 m transect for six 3-day periods. The number of trapped specimens and species richness at the natural forest sites was higher than in all land-use systems, which did not significantly differ. Each land-use system contained, on average, 75\% of the species richness of the natural forest, thereby indicating their importance for conservation. However, a two-dimensional scaling plot based on NESS indices (m = 6) indicated distinct dung beetle communities for both forest types, while agroforestry systems and annual cultures exhibited a pronounced overlap. Mean body size of dung beetles was not significantly influenced by land-use intensity. Five of the six most abundant dung beetle species were recorded in all habitats, whereas the abundance of five other species was significantly related to habitat type. Mean local abundance and number of occupied sites were closely correlated, further indicating little habitat specialisation. The low dung beetle diversity (total of 18 recorded species) may be due to the absence of larger mammals in Sulawesi during historical times, even though Sulawesi is the largest island of Wallacea. In conclusion, the dung beetle fauna of the lower montane forest zone in Central Sulawesi appears to be relatively robust to man-made habitat changes and the majority of species did not exhibit strong habitat preferences.}, keywords = {Dung beetles}, url = {://000228503800006}, author = {Shahabuddin, and Schulze, C. H. and Tscharntke, T.} } @article {2280, title = {Seasonality, dung specificity and competition in dung beetle assemblages in the Australian Wet Tropics, north-eastern Australia}, journal = {Journal of Tropical Ecology}, volume = {21}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, note = {PDF}, month = {Jan}, pages = {1-8}, abstract = {A trapping study of five mammal species in wet sclerophyll forest adjacent to rain forest in the Australian Wet Tropics was used to examine the seasonal diversity, abundance and dung-specificity of dung beetles associated with mammal dung. A total of 542 dung beetles from I I species within three genera was recovered from beneath the traps of 1104 mammal captures. The diversity of beetles associated with the dung of the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica), a mycophagous marsupial, differed significantly from the diversity predicted by a null model. Numbers of beetles varied significantly with type of dung, indicating preference by beetles. Beetle numbers were related positively to a 1-mo lag in monthly mean minimum temperature and less strongly to maximum temperature and rainfall. Significantly more beetles per mammal capture were detected in the wet season than in the dry season. Dung beetles showed a strong preference for either the Eucalyptus woodland (six species) or the adjacent Allocasliarina forest (four species), with only one species occurring in both habitat types. Beetle species from the Eucalyptus woodland were typically only detected in the late wet and early dry seasons, while species in the wetter Allocasuarina forest were generally collected during the late dry and early wet seasons. A significant {\textquoteright}checkerboard{\textquoteright} species effect was detected in both time and space in both habitat types, suggesting that competition for dung was strong.}, keywords = {Dung beetles}, url = {://000227083400001 }, author = {Vernes, K. and Pope, L. C. and Hill, C. J. and Barlocher, F.} } @article {2355, title = {Competition and compensation among cattle, zebras, and elephants in a semi-arid savanna in Laikipia, Kenya}, journal = {Biological Conservation}, volume = {122}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {880VOBIOL CONSERV}, month = {Mar}, pages = {351-359}, abstract = {Competition and compatibility between livestock and wildlife in Africa has been a point of considerable speculation, with implications for conservation. However, controlled replicated experiments are lacking. Here we report on the results of a long-term exclosure experiment in Laikipia, Kenya, in which different guilds of large mammalian herbivores have been independently manipulated since 1995. In plots from which cattle were excluded, the density of zebra dung in 2000 was on average 46\% greater than in control plots. This was due to differential zebra use, and not to differential rates of dung removal (by dung beetles or other factors). Vegetation data indicate that cattle fully compensate for the absence of wildlife; all plots accessible to cattle had similarly low grass cover. However. wildlife do not fully compensate for the absence of cattle; plots with only wildlife had more grass cover than plots accessible to cattle. Zebra dung density was strongly correlated with total grass cover, suggesting that zebras are effectively tracking resource abundance. There is also evidence of pair-wise competition between cattle and elephants, and between elephants and zebras. The strong competition between cattle and zebras appears to be mitigated by the presence of elephants. A significant cattle x elephant interaction on the abundance of zebra dung indicates that elephants reduce the negative effects of cattle on zebras. In the presence of cattle. elephants facilitate the abundance of zebra, apparently by suppressing resource extraction (bite rates) by cattle. The precise mechanism for this indirect facilitation is not clear, but it may be related to the demonstrated reduction in forb cover associated with elephant presence. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Dung beetles}, url = {://000225818100017}, author = {Young, T. P. and Palmer, T. A. and Gadd, M. E.} }