Species Assemblage of Carrion Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Silphidae, Trogidae) in Three Habitats in the Northeastern Region of Aguascalientes, Mexico

Abstract

We present a study on the carrion beetles of the families Scarabaeidae, Silphidae, and Trogidae from the areas surrounding Villa Juarez, Asientos, Aguascalientes, Mexico. Four sites with three types of habitat were selected: agricultural land; riparian forest; and xerophytic scrub 1 and xerophytic scrub 2. We used NTP-80 carrion traps from October 2016 to September 2017. In total, 4,831 specimens belonging to nine species, five genera, and three families were captured. The family with the highest species richness was Silphidae (s = 4), followed by Scarabaeidae (s = 3) and Trogidae (s = 2). The most abundant family was Scarabaeidae, followed by Silphidae and Trogidae. The most abundant species were: Onthophagus knulliHowden and Cartwright, 1963 (Scarabaeidae) and Nicrophorus mexicanus Matthews, 1888 (Silphidae); those with the lowest abundance were Copris sierrensisMatthews, 1961 (Scarabaeidae) and Trox spinulosus dentibius Robinson, 1940 (Trogidae), with only one individual each. The rank-abundance curves exhibit a pattern in which O. knulli was dominant with more than 70% of total abundance in each of the three sites where it was collected. Onthophagus knulli was not found in agricultural land, thus a greater similarity in species abundance was observed. We present an annotated checklist of the species found. Species richness was lower than other studies in Mexico which can be attributed to the semi-arid region and the high degree of habitat fragmentation in the area. We provide a foundation for future ecological, biogeographical, conservation, and forensic studies. Captures of O. knulli, C. sierrensis, T. spinulosus dentibius, and Nicrophorus olidus Matthews, 1886 are new state records for Aguascalientes.