Beetle Abundance Research Articles

Non-host habitat at local and landscape scales promotes overwintering success of a specialist insect pest

Incorporating non-crop habitats around cropping fields is often promoted to enhance biodiversity and deter crop pests. However, few studies have investigated how these habitats influence the overwintering success of pest populations. In this study, we investigate how a specialist insect pest, the asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), uses local and landscape resources for overwintering. We surveyed beetles in 2019–2020 at 11 asparagus farms in Michigan, USA, and conducted experiments to compare overwintering survival of adult beetles in five substrates commonly found in asparagus agroecosystems. We compared the overwintering number of beetles across three habitat types: asparagus field, weedy margin, and woodlot. Overwintering asparagus beetle abundance was highest within sites with deciduous leaves and decomposing asparagus stalks. We found a negative relationship between the abundance of dead trees in adjacent woodlots and adult beetle abundance. We then expanded beyond the woodlots with a landscape analysis conducted at multiple spatial scales. Landscape analysis indicated that deciduous forest within 1250 m of sites increased beetle abundance in focal asparagus fields, while asparagus production at spatial scales greater than 1500 m suppressed their populations. Our findings indicate that certain specialist pests, like asparagus beetles, depend on host resources for overwintering, but non-host habitat from the surrounding landscape is also important to their success. Practically, removal of host and non-host debris (leaf litter) from asparagus fields may lead to decreased survival and lower pest pressures. In addition, crop-dominated landscapes may not require in-field habitat management of overwintering substrates to the same extent as more diverse landscapes with higher proportions of non-host habitat (deciduous forest). Ultimately, we argue that the net positive and negative impact of increasing non-host habitat at the landscape level should be considered when developing integrated pest management strategies for specialists at the local scale.

Effect of Conservation Agriculture on Aphid Biocontrol by Generalist (Carabid Beetle) and Specialist (Parasitoids Wasp) Natural Enemy Communities in Winter Wheat

Adoption of practices that reduce the risk of pest outbreaks is one of the pillars of agroecology and is largely based on biological control. Multiple infield and landscape parameters affect biocontrol, but the effects of conservation soil management on biological control have been poorly investigated over crop season. By comparing winter wheat fields within the same landscape but with different soil management, the direct and indirect effects of soil management (conservation and conventional systems) on natural enemies’ communities and their biological control on aphids was studied from the tillering stage to the harvest. In addition to aphid infestation, two families of the main natural enemies’ guilds were monitored, as well as their associated services: aphid parasitoid, a specialist and flying natural enemy, with parasitism service, and carabid beetles, a generalist and ground-dwelling predator, with aphidophagy service. Soil conservation system hosted more abundant and diverse carabid beetles’ assemblages, and received higher aphidophagy service in June than conventional system. However, neither parasitoid abundance, nor parasitism rates, were affected by soil management. Aphid infestation and its associated damage did not depend on soil management either. Our results suggest that ground-dwelling natural enemies are more impacted by soil management than foliage-dwelling natural enemies, which is partly reflected in aphid biocontrol. In agricultural systems with reduced soil perturbation, direct mortality on ground-dwelling communities due to tillage may be lower than in a conventional system, but habitat heterogeneity is also greater, increasing the number of ecological niches for natural enemies. Both factors are supposed to favor an early presence of natural enemies and a tendency toward a precocious aphidophagy service is indeed observed in conservation system.

Beetle (Coleoptera) communities inside and outside the pest-resistant fencing of a New Zealand ecosanctuary

ABSTRACT The ecological impacts of invasive mammals are widely documented around the world. In New Zealand, fencing designed to exclude non-native mammals is used for conservation and restoration efforts. The Orokonui Ecosanctuary is a 307-hectare coastal Otago reserve (Dunedin, New Zealand) that is surrounded by mammal-exclusion fencing. The goal of the present study was to investigate how excluding mammals and including (native) animals inside the Orokonui Ecosanctuary fence has influenced ground- and litter-dwelling beetle (Coleoptera) abundance, diversity, and community composition. We hypothesised that beetle abundance, diversity, and community composition would be different whether the beetles sampled were from sites inside the fence or outside the fence. Beetles were extracted from the litter and soil of six sites (three inside, three outside) two times (once in winter, once in summer). The abundance, diversity, species composition, size distribution, and trophic guild distribution of beetles inside and outside the fence and between seasons were compared. Our results suggest that sites inside the fence harbour a greater abundance and diversity of beetles. We found a high abundance of native beetles both inside and outside the Orokonui Ecosanctuary’s fence. Further research may find evidence that the fenced sanctuary is providing a ‘halo effect’ whereby native beetles thriving within the Orokonui Ecosanctuary are spreading out into the surrounding landscape and also outcompeting introduced beetles.

The Influence of Landscape Composition on The Diversity and Abundance of Beetles in Rice Cultivation

The objectives of this study were to examine the characteristics of the landscape at each research site to examine the diversity, abundance, and composition of beetles; to examine the effect of management practices and habitat conditions, and to examine the relationship between landscape composition and beetle diversity and abundance at 14 research sites. The research was conducted from January 2022 to March 2022 in 14 rice farming locations spread across West Sumatra, Central Java, and East Java. Sampling was done by installing light traps at each location, mapping the landscape condition, and characterizing the landscape by conducting a ground survey at a radius of 500 m from the observation plot by recording various types of land use and then digitizing it with the QGIS application version 3.24.1. This study used analysis of variance and regression analysis. The results showed that plantations, agriculture, forests, and settlements dominated the land use types. The total number of beetles was 12,653, consisting of 10 families and 24 morphospecies. The cultivation method that influences the diversity of beetles is the application of fertilizer, while the landscape composition that affects species diversity is natural habitat and class area plantation.

Examining Gongylonema Neoplasticum From Rats in Tabriz City (Northwest of Iran): A Case Report

Aims Different species of gongylonema are common parasites of rats that can be accidentally transmitted to humans and cause disease. This study aims to identify and investigate the morphology of Gongylonema neoplasticum and its zoonotic significance in Tabriz rats. Methods & Materials In this study, 100 rats (29 Rattus rattus and 71 Rattus norvegicus) were caught from different parts of Tabriz City in northwestern Iran using live traps. In the study areas, edible beetles are abundant and in almost all trapping areas local people complained about the presence of beetles. These beetles host the mediator of gongylonema parasites and easily infect animals, such as mice, rabbits, cats, cattle, and accidentally humans. Findings In this study, the esophagus and stomach of rats were carefully examined for infection with gongylonema and only one of the following species was isolated from them, Gongylonema neoplasticum. Conclusion Due to the high abundance of beetles, high levels of Gongylonema neoplasticum were not reported, which can be considered in terms of human infections. More parasitological studies should be done in different geographical regions of Iran and other countries.

Preliminary patterns of seasonal changes in species composition of surface‐active arthropods in a South African savannah

AbstractSurface‐active arthropods have limited dispersal abilities and their abundances are responsive to changes in the environment. Their sensitivity allows for the identification of aspects of environmental variation that are responsible for changes in community assemblages of these arthropods. Limited dispersal abilities allow for changes in the populations of surface‐active arthropods to be linked reliably to changes in their local environment. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that seasonal variation in resource availability drives assemblages of three groups of surface‐active arthropods (ants, beetles and spiders). Ten study sites were selected, where sampling was carried out continually during the wet, austral summer season (December 2018–February 2019) and then repeated at the same sites in the dry winter season (June 2019–August 2019) in a mesic savannah of Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Pitfall trapping was used to sample the surface‐active arthropods. We found 89 morphospecies of ants, 48% of which were members of the Myrmicinae, while 32% of the 163 morphospecies of beetles were the Scarabaeidae. There were 262 morphospecies of spiders, of these, 22% were from the Salticidae. We found similar abundance and species richness of ants between seasons but significantly greater abundance and species richness of beetles and spiders in summer than in winter. These results show that the impact of seasonal variation in resource availability differs among arthropod taxa. However, the species compositions of all three taxa were significantly different between summer and winter. These results can be explained by the ‘niche differentiation hypothesis’ coupled with the ‘resource‐ratio hypothesis’. Additionally, these results highlight the role that temporal and dietary niche differentiation play in driving the assemblage composition of surface‐active arthropods in a mesic savannah.

Dataset: Fauna of Adult Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the National Park “Smolny” (Russia)

(1) Background: Protected areas are “hotspots” of biodiversity in many countries. In such areas, ecological systems are preserved in their natural state, which allows them to protect animal populations. In several protected areas, the Coleoptera biodiversity is studied as an integral part of the ecological monitoring of the ecosystem state. This study was aimed to describe the Carabidae fauna in one of the largest protected areas of European Russia, namely National Park “Smolny”. (2) Methods: The study was conducted in April–September 2008, 2009, 2017–2021. A variety of ways was used to collect beetles (by hand, caught in light traps, pitfall traps, and others). Seasonal dynamics of the beetle abundance were studied in various biotopes. Coordinates were fixed for each observation. (3) Results: The dataset contains 1994 occurrences. In total, 32,464 specimens of Carabidae have been studied. The dataset contains information about 131 species of Carabidae beetles. In this study, we have not found two species (Carabus estreicheri and Calathus ambiguus), previously reported in the fauna of National Park “Smolny”. (4) Conclusions: The Carabidae diversity in the National Park “Smolny” is represented by 133 species from 10 subfamilies. Ten species (Carabus cancellatus, Harpalus laevipes, Carabus hortensis, Pterostichus niger, Poecilus versicolor, Pterostichus melanarius, Carabus glabratus, Carabus granulatus, Carabus arvensis baschkiricus, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus) constitute the majority of the Carabidae fauna. Seasonal dynamics are maximal in spring; the number of ground beetles decreases in biotopes by autumn.

Necrophagous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Silphidae) along an Elevational Gradient from Cerro de García, Jalisco, México

The present work describes the patterns of richness and abundance along an elevational gradient, complemented with an annotated checklist of necrophagous beetle species (Scarabaeidae, Trogidae, Geotrupidae, and Silphidae) collected in Cerro de García, Jalisco. The site is located southwest of Lake Chapala and in the western region of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Specimens were collected each month during one year of sampling. Seven sites were surveyed with elevations ranging from 1,600 to 2,700 m. At each site, two carrion traps baited with squid were used and additional specimens were collected directly from cow dung during July. A total of 4,320 specimens were collected, belonging to 26 species within four families. Silphidae were the most abundant beetle family, comprising 64% of the total beetle abundance. In the superfamily Scarabaeoidea, Scarabaeidae were the most abundant at 31% of the total abundance and also the most diverse. Geotrupidae and Trogidae represented 5% of the total abundance. The results show that richness and diversity indices decrease as the elevation increases. However, abundance values were highest at an intermediate elevation of 2,000 m. The diversity of richness and abundance along the elevational gradient showed greatest spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of dung beetle species at 2,000 m where sites with species with affinities to tropical and high mountain environments overlapped.

Effect of Pine Forest Management on the Diversity of Ambrosia Beetles (Curculionidae: Platypodinae and Scolytinae) in East Java, Indonesia

In Indonesia, Pinus merkusii, the Sumatran pine, is the most important forest tree in the industry. This study aimed to determine the effects of pine forest types and sites on the abundance of ambrosia beetles in four pine forest types and sites, i.e., the protected pine forest (PF1 & PF2), the pine forests-based agroforestry (PA1 & PA2), the tapped-pine forests (TP1 & TP2), and the non-tapped pine forests (NP1 & NP2). The environmental variables and the stand-ages were also studied related to the number of ambrosia beetle individuals and species. Twenty ethanol baited traps were installed to attract and collect the ambrosia beetles in each pine forest site. The descriptive analysis, the nested analysis of variance, and correlation analysis were applied to determine the differences in ambrosia beetle abundance between the pine forest sites, the relationship between the stand-age, humidity, elevation, and temperature to the number of individuals and species of ambrosia beetle, and species diversity of ambrosia beetles in each pine forest type. The Jaccard distance was calculated to investigate the dissimilarity between each pine forest site based on the ambrosia beetle species composition and abundance. The 999 ambrosia beetles (15 species) were reported in this study. Two were Platypodinae, and 13 were Scolytinae subfamilies. Xyleborinus andrewesi was the most abundant ambrosia beetle. The abundance of ambrosia beetles was significantly different between pine forest types (F = 89.23, p < 0.001). The population of ambrosia beetles was the highest in the protected pine forest, and the lowest one was identified in the non-tapped pine forest and the pine forest-based agroforestry. Based on the pine forest types, the highest number of ambrosia beetle species was in the protected pine forest (13 species), and the lowest one was in the pine forest-based agroforestry (7 species). The highest and the lowest numbers of ambrosia beetles were in the protected pine forest site 2 (11 species) and in the pine forest–based agroforestry site 2 & the non-tapped pine forest site 1 (3 species). The highest dissimilarity was shown by the highest distances between the pine forest-based agroforestry site 1 and the non-tapped pine forest site 1 based on the Jaccard distance. The stand-age, humidity, and temperature potentially effected the number of ambrosia beetle individuals and species. The elevation also indicated to influence the number of ambrosia beetle individuals however it isn’t happened on the number of ambrosia beetle species. This study contributes to identify the suitable pine forest types related to the ambrosia beetle management.

An Assessment of Environmental Risk of Bt-Maize on Rove Beetle Communities

Abstract An environmental risk assessment related to the genetically modified crops still needs to be studied. In the non-target organisms, rove beetles seem to be well-chosen arthropods for this purpose. Rove beetle abundance and species diversity were studied in the first large-scale Bt-maize experiment in the south part of Poland for over two years to determine the impact of Bt-maize in comparison to conventional varieties. A genetically engineered Bt-maize variety (DKC 3421 Yield Gard®, event MON 810) and its near-isogenic DKC 3420 were cultivated at two locations. Additionally, two non-Bt varieties sprayed with a lambda-cyhalothrin insecticide were also included for comparative analysis. The results show no significant effects on rove beetle abundance and diversity patterns of the Bt-maize and the nearby isolines. In one locality the mean number of individuals and Simpson dominance was even higher in Bt-maize compared to one reference variety. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed rather variety-dependent effects of the rove beetle community. To conclude, considering the abundance and diversity of studied insects, there is no environmental risk arising from Bt-maize cultivation.

Cattle dung and bioturbation by dung beetles improve oak seedling establishment in Mediterranean silvopastoral ecosystems

This study aims to determine whether the application of cattle manure and associated bioturbation by dung beetles and other invertebrates can increase oak seedling establishment in the high biodiversity Mediterranean silvopastoral systems known as “dehesas”, which are comprised of scattered oaks and a grassland layer and are used for livestock rearing. A two-year study was conducted in a representative dehesa in southern Spain. Firstly, the effect of cattle dung pads on acorn consumption by livestock and wild predators was monitored, along with dung beetle abundance and plot bioturbation. Secondly, the indirect effects of bioturbation on acorn burial, acorn predation by rodents and oak seedling establishment were assessed under the condition of livestock exclusion. The results consistently demonstrate a high positive indirect effect of the presence of cattle manure on the persistence of acorns, as well as on seedling establishment, as a result of reduced predation by rodents and improved microhabitat conditions for the acorns and seedlings. These processes were mediated by bioturbation. Tunneler dung beetles, which move a great amount of soil material, were dominant in our records, which suggest their importance for passive acorn burial, without disregarding the influence of other edaphic invertebrates present. We conclude that the presence of cattle manure significantly improves oak seedling establishment in Mediterranean dehesas through the passive burial of acorns by bioturbation, which acts to protect them from predation by rodents, desiccation and other damage. Passive acorn burial by dung beetles and other invertebrates thus emerges as an important ecosystem service that has been little-studied to date. Appropriate rotational management of livestock could therefore contribute to addressing the bottleneck of oak regeneration in Mediterranean dehesas.

Prairie Strips and Lower Land Use Intensity Increase Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Agricultural landscapes can be managed to protect biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services. One approach to achieve this is to restore native perennial vegetation within croplands. Where rowcrops have displaced prairie, as in the US Midwest, restoration of native perennial vegetation can align with crops in so called “prairie strips.” We tested the effect of prairie strips in addition to other management practices on a variety of taxa and on a suite of ecosystem services. To do so, we worked within a 33-year-old experiment that included treatments that varied methods of agricultural management across a gradient of land use intensity. In the two lowest intensity crop management treatments, we introduced prairie strips that occupied 5% of crop area. We addressed three questions: (1) What are the effects of newly established prairie strips on the spillover of biodiversity and ecosystem services into cropland? (2) How does time since prairie strip establishment affect biodiversity and ecosystem services? (3) What are the tradeoffs and synergies among biodiversity conservation, non-provisioning ecosystem services, and provisioning ecosystem services (crop yield) across a land use intensity gradient (which includes prairie strips)? Within prairie strip treatments, where sampling effort occurred within and at increasing distance from strips, dung beetle abundance, spider abundance and richness, active carbon, decomposition, and pollination decreased with distance from prairie strips, and this effect increased between the first and second year. Across the entire land use intensity gradient, treatments with prairie strips and reduced chemical inputs had higher butterfly abundance, spider abundance, and pollination services. In addition, soil organic carbon, butterfly richness, and spider richness increased with a decrease in land use intensity. Crop yield in one treatment with prairie strips was equal to that of the highest intensity management, even while including the area taken out of production. We found no effects of strips on ant biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions (N2O and CH4). Our results show that, even in early establishment, prairie strips and lower land use intensity can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services without a disproportionate loss of crop yield.

A multi-site experiment to test biocontrol effects of wildflower strips in different French climate zones

Sowing of wildflower strips has been integrated in agri-environment schemes of several European countries. Their beneficial effects on natural enemies of pest insects are well documented but (1) the desired spill-over into crop fields has not always been demonstrated, and (2) the need to adapt sown mixtures to regional climatic differences has been rarely addressed.We set up a multi-site experiment in different French climatic regions to compare effects of a wildflower strip with a grass mixture and spontaneous vegetation. The design included five regions, three to five fields per region and the three strip treatments being repeated in each field. We tested strip treatment effects on vegetation (plant species richness, plant and flower cover) and on natural enemies (hoverflies, ladybirds, aphid predation). In a subset, we further analysed the spill-over into winter wheat fields including natural enemies and pest insects (cereal aphids, leaf beetles).The wildflower strip mixture developed well in all regions and increased plant species richness and flower cover compared with grass strips and spontaneous vegetation. We found a corresponding higher hoverfly abundance and aphid predation in wildflower strips that were consistent in all regions, whereas ladybird abundance was not affected. A significantly higher hoverfly abundance, aphid predation and aphid parasitism in wheat fields close to wildflower strips indicated a spill-over. No corresponding margin treatment effects were observed for aphid and leaf beetle abundance in the field. A multivariate analysis comparing the influence of climate and vegetation parameters showed that floral cover better explained variation in natural enemy abundance and predation than climate. Our results demonstrated that similar mixtures of native plants can be used over large climatic gradients to improve biocontrol. Further research is needed to improve spill-over into crop fields and to obtain consistently strong effects in different climate zones.

The Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbance to the Canopy Microclimate of Tropical Forests in the Southern Western Ghats, India

Anthropogenic disturbances are a pressing driver of forest degradation and are known to affect the microclimate within forests. Most organisms experience the microclimate and hence, associated changes may drive species communities in rainforests. However, such knowledge remains limited in the case of forest canopies, especially in south Asia. We aimed to identify differences in the temperature and light intensity, and beetles and vascular epiphytes in the canopy between old-growth and secondary forests. Using sensors, we recorded two key microclimatic variables, the air temperature, and light intensity, in the crowns of 36 Cullenia exarillata A. Robyns trees. We sampled beetles (morphospecies) and vascular epiphytes (genera) in the crowns. We provide evidence that canopies of secondary forest stands (intensively logged 60 years ago) (1) continue to show higher canopy air temperatures and light intensity, and (2) have higher beetle abundance (individuals), richness (morphospecies), and diversity but lower vascular epiphyte abundance (individuals), richness (genera), and diversity as compared to primary forest stands. We also show that the beetle communities differ (with greater beta diversity in the primary forest), but the vascular epiphyte communities were similar between the two forest types. We hope that this information begins to bridge the gap in understanding the role of microclimate in driving species communities and the ecology of human-modified forests.

The patterns of co-occurrence variation are explained by the low dependence of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) on hosts along altitude gradients

BackgroundSeparation of biotic and abiotic impacts on species diversity distribution patterns across a significant climatic gradient is a challenge in the study of diversity maintenance mechanisms. The basic task is to reconcile scale-dependent effects of abiotic and biotic processes on species distribution models. Here, we used a hierarchical modeling method to detect the host specificities of bark beetles (Scolytinae and Platypodinae) with their dependent tree communities across a steep climatic gradient, which was embedded within a relatively homogenous spatial niche.ResultsSpecies turnover of both trees and bark beetles have an opposite pattern along the climatic proxy (represented by the elevation gradients) at the regional scale, but not at local spatial scales. This pattern confirmed the hypothesis wherein emphasis was on influences of macro-climate on local biotic interactions between trees and hosted bark beetle communities, whereas local biotic relations, represented by host specificity dependence, were regionally conserved.ConclusionsAt a confined spatial scale, cross-taxa comparisons of β-diversity highlighted the importance of simultaneous impacts from both extrinsic factors related to geography and environment, and intrinsic factors related to organism characteristics. The effects of tree abundance and phylogeny diversity on bark beetle diversity were, to a large extent, indirect, operating via changes in bark beetle abundance through spatial and temporal dynamics of resources distribution. Tree host dependence, which was considered and represented by host specificities, plays a minor role on the hosted beetle community in this concealed wood decomposing interacting system.

Influence of Canopy Cover and Meteorological Factors on the Abundance of Bark and Ambrosia Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Avocado Orchards Affected by Laurel Wilt

In the last decade in South Florida, approximately 200,000 avocado trees have succumbed to laurel wilt (LW), a fungal disease vectored by ambrosia beetles. Sanitation (e.g., pruning, stumping, and removal of LW–affected trees) and replanting with young trees are cultural practices currently used by avocado growers to reduce the incidence of LW. Surveillance in these managed orchards suggests a decline in ambrosia beetle abundance, and previous research determined that female flight activity is influenced by light intensity. Therefore, we investigated the effect of three canopy covers (i.e., full canopy, topworked, and new planting) on ambrosia beetle abundance. A total of 28,184 individuals, representing 15 species within Scolytinae and Platypodinae, were captured passively in three LW–affected avocado orchards over a one-year period. Full canopy cover exhibited the highest number of beetles and the lowest light intensity. The opposite was found for topworked and new planting covers. Additionally, we documented the effect of meteorological factors on the flight dispersal of five species known to vector the LW pathogen. The flight activity of Xylosandrus crassiusculus and Xyleborinus saxesenii was highly influenced by abiotic factors (R2 > 0.50), especially solar radiation, whereas the flight of Xyleborus affinis, Xyleborus volvulus, and Xyleborus bispinatus was only partially explained by climatic variables (0.20 < R2 < 0.30). Our results indicate that reducing canopy cover, thereby increasing light intensity, suppresses ambrosia beetle abundance, especially for species associated with the LW pathogen. Abiotic factors play a critical role in the dispersal of invasive species (X. crassiusculus and X. saxesenii), but their effect is less pronounced on native species (X. affinis, X. volvulus, and X. bispinatus). Canopy management alters the microclimatic conditions in avocado orchards, affecting ambrosia beetle abundance and flight activity.

Do water physicochemical parameters explain richness and phenology of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) in Tonga Lake (Northeast Algeria)?

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the biodiversity and structure of the aquatic beetle community living in Tonga Lake, a protected area classified by Ramsar in 1983, northeastern Algeria, as well as to analyse the effect of environmental factorsin particular, the degree of invasion by physicochemical parameters of the water on the abundance and species richness of the aquatic beetle community. The collections were carried out between March 2017 and February 2018, at three selected sites. In total, 1.212 individuals were collected, 24 species were determined. The highest diversity was recorded during spring. Water samples were sampled seasonally from each site. The GLM showed that aquatic beetle abundance varied considerably among sites on a seasonal basis. GLM also showed significant effects of water physicochemical parameters on abundance and species richness of the beetle community.

Dung beetle community composition affects dung turnover in subtropical US grasslands.

An important service in many ecosystems is the turnover and degradation of dung deposited by cattle. Dung beetles are the primary group of insects responsible for dung turnover, and factors affecting their abundance and distribution thus impact dung degradation. Lands lost to grazing due to dung buildup and pasture contamination total millions of acres per year in US pastures.We evaluated the structural differences in dung beetle assemblages in natural grasslands versus a managed agroecosystem in subtropical southeastern Florida (USA). We measured the direct effect of dung longevity when dung beetle fauna normally inhabiting dung pats were excluded.Our results indicate dung beetle abundance, functional diversity, and species richness have a substantial impact on the rate of dung turnover in subtropical pastoral lands with ~70% of dung removed from the soil surface after three months. Functional diversity and evenness did not have a significant positive effect on dung removal in managed, versus natural grasslands demonstrating a strong relationship between dung beetle assemblage composition and delivery of a key ecological process, dung degradation.We suggest the importance of trees, which provide a thermal refuge for beetles, should be dispersed within matrixes of open pasture areas and within proximity to adjacent closed‐canopy hammocks to facilitate the exchange of dung beetles between habitats and therefore maintain the provisioning of dung degradation services by dung beetle assemblages.

Challenging assumptions about burial ground biodiversity using flying beetles as indicators in urban areas

Abstract Biodiversity is fundamental to the provision of ecosystem services that benefit urban communities, yet one type of green space is largely overlooked in ecological research and local governance: urban burial grounds. Their longevity, profound importance to society, and ubiquitous nature, provide unique opportunities for urban biodiversity. However, there has been little scientific exploration of their potentials. To quantify biodiversity in urban burial grounds, a low impact methodology for the capture of flying beetles was developed and deployed at 20 sites in southern England. To the authors’ knowledge this work represents the largest sampling of burial grounds in a single study. We used Generalized linear Mixed Models to examine the influence of weather, local demographic variables, urban landscape and burial ground vegetation management on the abundance of flying beetles. We found significant variability in beetle assemblages over time and between burial grounds. Burial ground age was not significantly associated with flying beetle abundance, challenging long-standing assumptions about older burial grounds being more valuable for biodiversity. Increasing area of domestic gardens and hedgerows in the surrounding urban landscape was positively associated with beetle abundance, whereas the most significant negative association was with burial ground size. Additionally, management of burial grounds significantly influenced beetle abundance: more stringent regimes typically resulted in lower abundance, but sites with horticultural landscaping or biodiversity-focused regimes exhibited higher abundances.

CHANGES IN DUNG BEETLES ALONG AN ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT OF TROPICAL FORESTS IN PU HOAT NATURE RESERVE, NGHE AN PROVINCE

Dung beetles are widely used as bio-indicators of habitat changes because they respond quickly to changes in environmental conditions. Altitudinal variation in dung-beetle communities has been studied in various geographical areas. However, there is little known about dung-beetle shifting in tropical forests of Vietnam. This study investigates dung-beetle communities along an altitudinal gradient ranged from 400 to 800 m above sea level (a.s.l.). We collected dung beetles at three transects of three altitudinal classes (altitudinal class 1 = 400 m a.s.l., class 2 = 600 m a.s.l., and class 3 = 800 m a.s.l.) in primary forests of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, using baited pitfall traps. In total, 28 dung-beetle species of 10 genera were recorded during the course of the study. Of the total recorded species, 25, 22 and 17 species were collected in the altitudinal class 1, class 2, and class 3, respectively. The ANOVA test and Tukey’s post-hoc test showed significant differences in species richness, Shannon diversity, and abundance of dung beetles across the altitudinal gradient. Altitudinal class 1 had the highest richness of dung beetles. However, the highest abundance was recorded in the altitudinal class 2. Several dung-beetle species, in response to global warming, have shifted their altitudinal range upward, leading to serious conservation problems such as extinctions of high-elevation species.