02190nas a2200277   4500008004100000245010900041210006900150260002100219300001000240490000700250520121000257653001401467653003001481653003201511653001601543653003801559653001501597653002601612653001801638653002401656653002801680653001801708653003401726100002301760856012901783       2002                        eng d00aShady field boundaries and the colonisation of dung by coprophagous beetles in Central American pastures0 aShady field boundaries and the colonisation of dung by coprophag  c[print] Septembe  a25-360 v913 aThis study examines how the shade from field boundaries may enhance dung decomposition in tropical pastures through its effects on coprophagous beetles. Between August 1995 and January 1998, beetles were collected using dung-baited pitfall traps at a cattle ranch in coastal El Salvador. Fifteen species were recorded throughout the study and, although some species were significantly associated with field boundaries, there were no species exclusive to the boundaries. Diurnal specialist open-field beetles arrived predominantly on the day of dung deposition whereas nocturnal generalist species colonised older dung (one species) or colonised dung for longer (three species) particularly, in the shade. The endocoprid Aphodiinae (two species) generally colonised dung that was 3-7 days old, at a time when activity of the larger paracoprid Coprini and Onthophagini had diminished. Deposition of dung in the shade of field boundaries extended the period during which it was suitable for colonisation, raising the average dung colonisation time by generalist species. The importance of shady field boundaries in dung beetle conservation and efficient dung decomposition in pasture ecosystems is discussed.10aAnimalia-10aAphodiinae- (Coleoptera-)10aAphodius-spp. (Coleoptera-)10aArthropoda-10aAteuchus-rodriguezi (Coleoptera-)10aCanthon-in10aColeoptera-: Insecta-10aConservation-10aEconomic-Entomology10aEnvironmental-Sciences)10aInvertebrata-10aTerrestrial-Ecology (Ecology-1 aHorgan, Finbarr, G  uhttps://scarabnet.myspecies.info/shady-field-boundaries-and-colonisation-dung-coprophagous-beetles-central-american-pastures02314nas a2200241   4500008004100000245010800041210006900149300001200218490000700230520150800237653002201745653001701767653001201784653001601796653002401812653001801836653001901854653000901873653001701882653002101899100002301920856012901943       2006                        eng d00aAggregation and coexistence of dung beetles in montane rain forest in deforested siters in central Peru0 aAggregation and coexistence of dung beetles in montane rain fore  a359-3700 v223 aThe ‘aggregation model of coexistence’ predicts that a strong and independent aggregation of species across ephemeral resource patches promotes species coexistence and maintains diversity. This study examines the role of aggregation in maintaining tropical dung beetle diversity and the effects of deforestation on aggregation patterns and diversity loss. Using clusters of pitfall traps, dung beetle aggregation was quantified in natural and disturbed habitat at nested temporal and spatial scales in central Peru. The results indicate that dung was colonized by a greater number of species, many of which were large, leading to a higher total beetle biomass in forest habitat than in deforested, farm habitat. Beetles were intraspecifically aggregated at each spatial scale examined. Habitat-type (forest/deforested) had no effect on the intensity of intra- or interspecific aggregation. Analyses of aggregation patterns revealed that dung beetle assemblages in forest habitat were generally saturated whereas in deforested habitat they were unsaturated. In general, interspecific aggregation was too weak relative to intraspecific aggregation to explain the high diversity of species in forest habitat. Other mechanisms, including resource partitioning are likely to play a greater role in maintaining the diversity of dung beetle assemblages in the region. These results also indicate that the loss of species from disturbed habitat has not been due to a breakdown in the aggregation mechanism. 10aAggregation model10abiodiversity10abiomass10acoexistence10acommunity structure10adeforestation10ahabitat change10aPeru10aScarabaeidae10aspecies richness1 aHorgan, Finbarr, G  uhttps://scarabnet.myspecies.info/aggregation-and-coexistence-dung-beetles-montane-rain-forest-deforested-siters-central-peru01961nas a2200217   4500008004100000245009200041210006900133300001400202490000700216520123800223653001201461653001801473653001801491653002301509653002201532653001101554653001701565653002201582100002301604856011601627       2008                        eng d00aDung beetle assemblages in forests and pastures of El Salvador: a functional comparison0 aDung beetle assemblages in forests and pastures of El Salvador a  a2961-29780 v173 aThis study examines the functional attributes of Neotropical dung beetles, and, based on the analysis, evaluates the role of dung beetles in pastures and tropical dry forest in El Salvador. Dung beetle diversity was lower in pastures than in forests. However, the total biomass of beetles at similarly-sized dung baits was frequently higher in pastures. Diversity loss followed structured patterns: (1) carrion and fruit feeding beetles were well represented (species number) in the forests but were largely absent from pastures; (2) large ball rollers and small fast tunnellers were present in forests but were absent from pastures; (3) large fast tunnellers and small slow tunnellers were poorly represented in pastures com- pared to forests but the few species that survived in pastures attained extremely high popu- lations; and (4) each functional group in the species-poor pasture assemblages was divided almost equally into day and night active species. Substrate and habitat generalists that were present in both the forests and pastures were attracted to fruit and carrion in forested habitat but not in open pastures. In open habitats, Xies and other insects may be the principal decomposers of decaying fruit and carrion. 10acarrion10adecomposition10adeforestation10aDiversity-function10afunctional groups10aguilds10aScarabaeidae10atropical pastures1 aHorgan, Finbarr, G  uhttps://scarabnet.myspecies.info/dung-beetle-assemblages-forests-and-pastures-el-salvador-functional-comparison01570nas a2200133   4500008004100000245009900041210006900140300001200209490000900221520104600230100002301276700002201299856011501321       2004                        eng d00aHooded crow foraging from dung pats: implications for the structure of dung beetle assemblages0 aHooded crow foraging from dung pats implications for the structu  a119-1240 v104B3 aThe occurrence of dung beetles in the diet of hooded crows (Corvus corone cornix L.) was examined in order to identify possible biases in predation that could influence the structure of local dung beetle assemblages. Pellets and gizzards collected in southern Ireland indicated that crows fed largely on insects between March and September, and dung beetles (particularly Aphodius prodromus (Brahm)) were the most common insects in the diet in March and April. An abundance of alternative prey items, including Carabidae and Curculionidae, may have protected late summer dung beetles from intense crow predation. Small beetles (i.e. Hydrophilidae 5/2mm body length) did not occur in the pellets or gizzards and may be ignored or avoided by foraging crows. Field observations and diet analyses suggest that crows prefer to forage from fresh equine dung rather than fresh cattle dung. We suggest that such predation biases could play a role in determining dung beetle assemblage structures at microhabitat (dung type) and macrohabitat scales. 1 aHorgan, Finbarr, G1 aBerrow, Simon, D.  uhttps://scarabnet.myspecies.info/hooded-crow-foraging-dung-pats-implications-structure-dung-beetle-assemblages