The necrophagous dung beetle Coprophanaeus telamon (Erichson 1847) buried decomposing hen eggs in the rain forest of Ecuador. We suppose that the volatiles 2-butanone, cresol, indole, skatole, and butyric acid are responsible for attracting Coprophanaeus because these components of dung odour attract dung beetles and are also present in rotten eggs. A number of them are also produced by bacterial spoilage of raw meat. Abandoned clutches, infertile eggs or eggs with dead embryos of ground-nesting birds may be used as a resource by dung beetles.
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1 March 2004
Who Steals the Eggs? Coprophanaeus Telamon (Erichson) Buries Decomposing Eggs in Western Amazonian Rain Forest (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Albrecht Pfrommer,
Frank-Thorsten Krell
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