How to translate text using browser tools
1 April 2008 Trophic Associations of a Dung Beetle Assemblage (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in a Woodland Savanna of Botswana
B. Power Tshikae, Adrian L. V. Davis, Clarke H. Scholtz
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Species richness and abundance of dung beetles were assessed across a range of bait types that acted as surrogates for the food resources available in Chobe National Park, Botswana. These bait types were comprised of the dung of pig (omnivore), cattle (ruminant herbivore dropping fine-fiberd pads), sheep (pellet-dropping ruminant herbivore), and elephant (monogastric, nonruminant herbivore producing coarse-fibered droppings), and chicken livers (carrion). Species richness was similar between traps baited with pig, cattle, and elephant dung but was relatively lower in those baited with sheep dung and carrion. In traps baited with pig dung, abundance was relatively greater than in all other bait types. A cluster analysis of species abundance distributions for the 30 most abundant species identified four different patterns of bait type association at a 60% level of similarity. All but 1 of the 15 species in cluster A were attracted primarily to the dung of omnivores and pad-dropping ruminant herbivores (pig and cattle). All seven species of cluster B were attracted primarily to coarse-fibered, nonruminant herbivore dung (elephant). All four species of cluster C were primarily carrion and pig dung associated, whereas all four species of cluster D were carrion specialists. In conclusion, the most abundant species were attracted to all bait types, but most species were largely specialized to different dung types or carrion, with dung attracting the majority of the fauna in terms of both species richness and abundance.

B. Power Tshikae, Adrian L. V. Davis, and Clarke H. Scholtz "Trophic Associations of a Dung Beetle Assemblage (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in a Woodland Savanna of Botswana," Environmental Entomology 37(2), 431-441, (1 April 2008). https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X(2008)37[431:TAOADB]2.0.CO;2
Received: 12 June 2007; Accepted: 17 December 2007; Published: 1 April 2008
JOURNAL ARTICLE
11 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
African savannas
bait types
Botswana
Scarabaeinae
trophic associations
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top