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Dung beetles attracted to mammalian herbivore (Alouatta palliata) and omnivore (Nasua narica) dung in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Alejandro Estrada ,
Gonzalo Halffter ,
Rosamond Coates-Estrada  and
Dennis A. Meritt Jr
Alejandro Estrada
Affiliation:
Estacion de Biologia ‘Los Tuxtlas’, Instituto de Biologia-UNAM, Apartado Postal 176, San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico.
Gonzalo Halffter
Affiliation:
Estacion de Biologia ‘Los Tuxtlas’, Instituto de Biologia-UNAM, Apartado Postal 176, San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico. Instituto de Ecologia, A. C., Apartado 43, Xalapa, Mexico.
Rosamond Coates-Estrada
Affiliation:
Estacion de Biologia ‘Los Tuxtlas’, Instituto de Biologia-UNAM, Apartado Postal 176, San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico.
Dennis A. Meritt Jr
Affiliation:
Estacion de Biologia ‘Los Tuxtlas’, Instituto de Biologia-UNAM, Apartado Postal 176, San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico. Lincoln Park Zoological Society, 2200 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, III. 60614, USA.
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Abstract

Dung beetles attracted to howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) and coati (Nasua narica) dung were studied for an annual cycle in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. Pitfall traps set for 24 h month−1 captured 1567 dung beetles of 21 species. The species Canlhidium martinto, Deltochilum pseudoparile and Canthon femoralis accounted for 62% of all individuals captured. While species overlap was high (> 80%) between diurnal and nocturnal samples and between howler monkey and coati dung baits, coati dung attracted species such as C. martinezi, D. pseudoparile and Onthophagus rhinolophus while species such as C. femoralis and Copris laeviceps were numerically dominant at howler monkey dung. Thirteen non-ball rolling dung beetle species and eight ball-rolling species accounted for 43% and for 57% of all beetles captured respectively. Dung beetles were present and active in all months of the year, but occurred in higher numbers between the months of March and October, when temperatures were higher. Relative abundance of howler monkey and coati dung in the rain forest of Los Tuxtlas was estimated at 11.2 g (fresh weight) ha−1 day−1 and at 13.0 g ha−1 day−1 respectively, a seemingly low amount for the large number of scarabs attracted to the dung.

Keywords

Alouatta Palliatadung beetlesMexicoNasua naricaScarabaeidaetropical rain forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , February 1993 , pp. 45 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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