The Importance of Frugivory to the Survival of the Dung Beetle Onthophagus rhinolophus Harold (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) Under Changing Ecological Conditions

• Published in: The Coleopterists bulletin Vol. 66; no. 2; pp. 166 - 168
• Main Authors: Sarges, Rosario, Halffter, Gonzalo, Rojas, Alfonso Díaz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Coleopterists Society 01-06-2012; The Coleopterists Society
• Subjects: adults; Beetles; behavior; Cloud forests; Coffee; coffee plantation; Coffee plantations; Coleoptera; Coprophagy; Dung; Dung beetles; ecology; Feeding; Feeding habits; feeding methods; frugivores; Frugivory; Fruits; Habitat; habitats; Insect ecology; larval development; Mammals; Neotropics; nesting; Onthophagus; Plantations; scarab beetle; Scarabaeidae; Shade; species diversity; Species richness; Survival; tropical forests; Tropical regions; tropics; Mexico
• ISSN: 0010-065X; 1938-4394
• DOI: 10.1649/072.066.0216

This paper shows that for Onthophagus rhinolophus Harold inhabiting shade coffee plantations in central Veracruz, Mexico, frugivory is an alternative feeding strategy that is as important as coprophagy to adult feeding, nesting, and larval development. In this habitat, as is common in the humid tropical forests of the Neotropics where the droppings of medium-sized and large mammals are relatively scarce, the existence of frugivorous or copro-frugivorous species is one of the most important factors allowing for high Scarabaeinae species richness.