02242nas a2200313   4500008004100000245010700041210006900148260001200217300001200229490000700241520132400248653002901572653002501601653001801626653001301644653002001657653002401677653000801701653002401709653001901733653001601752653003801768653001401806653002101820653002101841653001201862100002001874856003401894       2002                        eng d00aSexual selection and condition dependence of courtship display in three species of horned dung beetles0 aSexual selection and condition dependence of courtship display i  cNov-Dec  a791-7990 v133 aSexual selection has traditionally been divided into competition over mates and mate choice. Currently, models of sexual selection predict that sexual traits are expressed in proportion to the condition of their bearer. In horned beetles, male contest competition is well established, but studies on female preferences are scarce. Here I present data on male mating success and condition dependence of courtship rate in three species of horn-dimorphic thing beetles, Onthaphagus taurus, Onthophagus binodis, and Onthophagus australis. I found that in the absence of male contest competition, mating success of O. taurus and O. australis was unrelated to their horn length and body size, whereas in O. binodis horn size had a negative effect but body size had a positive effect on male mating success. Overall, in O. binodis major morph males had greater mating success than minor morph males. In all three species male mating success was affected by courtship rate, and the Courtship rate was condition dependent such that when males were manipulated to be in poor condition they had lower courtship rates than males that were manipulated to be in good condition. My findings provide new insight into the mating systems of horned dung beetles and support an important assumption in indicator models of sexual selection.10aalternative reproductive10acondition dependence10aFEMALE CHOICE10agradient10ahorn dimorphism10ahorned dung beetles10alek10alogistic regression10amating success10aOnthophagus10aonthophagus-acuminatus coleoptera10aSELECTION10asexual selection10astalk-eyed flies10atactics1 aKotiaho, J., S.  u<Go to ISI>://00017950430001102981nas a2200337   4500008004100000245010700041210006900148260000800217300001200225490000700237520204300244653001602287653001802303653001502321653001702336653002102353653001202374653002402386653002202410653001502432653001502447653001702462653001402479653001702493653002102510653001902531100002002550700002502570700001402595856003402609       2002                        eng d00aThe verification and application of bioindicators: a case study of dung beetles in a savanna ecosystem0 averification and application of bioindicators a case study of du  cAug  a661-6720 v393 a1.Bioindicators of habitat quality and environmental change must be identified quantitatively and tested independently to confirm their usefulness. We used the indicator value (IndVal ) method, which combines measures of habitat fidelity and specificity, to assess the indicator responses of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa. The indicator responses were verified by sampling in different areas of the Park, 2 years after the responses were originally quantified. 2. We postulated that terrestrial insect indicators with different combinations of habitat specificity and fidelity might fulfil different indicator roles. Indicator species with strong habitat specificity (characteristic species) are unlikely to provide information on the direction of ecological change despite high vulnerability. Rather, detector species that span a range of ecological states are likely to be better in this role. We used IndVal for selecting such detector species that indicate the direction of ecological change. 3. Sets of species were found to be robust bioindicators, i.e. reliably characteristic across the habitat of which they were indicative. The suite of indicators was refined by discarding those with IndVal s that varied significantly across years, thus improving the confidence in the final suite of species selected. By clearly responding to a change in habitat between two ecological states, detector species provided information complementary to that provided by characteristic species. 4. The IndVal method enabled both the identification and testing of indicator (characteristic and detector) species. Because of its resilience to changes in abundance, IndVal is a particularly effective tool for ecological bioindication. 5. We conclude that both characteristic and detector species are useful bioindicators of habitat quality and conversion. We propose that bioindicators that are categorized and verified in this way will have valuable application in the monitoring of habitat integrity.10aassemblages10abioindication10aCOLEOPTERA10aconservation10adetector species10ahabitat10ahabitat specificity10aindicator species10aindicators10arange size10aScarabaeidae10aSELECTION10asouth-africa10aspecies richness10atransformation1 aMcGeoch, M., A.1 aVan Rensburg, B., J.1 aBotes, A.  u<Go to ISI>://000177255000011