Explore the vast range of titles available.

Dung beetles provide many important ecosystem services, including dung decomposition, pathogen control, soil aeration, and secondary seed dispersal. Yet, the biology of most dung beetles remains unknown. Natural diets are poorly studied, partly because previous research has focused on choice or attraction experiments using few, easily accessible dung types from zoo animals, farm animals, or humans. This way, many links within natural food webs have certainly been missed. In this work, we aimed to establish a protocol to analyze the natural diets of dung beetles using DNA gut barcoding. First, the feasibility of gut-content DNA extraction and amplification of 12s rDNA from six different mammal dung types was tested in the laboratory. We then applied the method to beetles caught in pitfall traps in Ecuador and Germany by using 12s rDNA primers. For a subset of the dung beetles caught in the Ecuador sampling, we also used 16s rDNA primers to see if these would improve the number of species we could identify. We predicted the likelihood of amplifying DNA using gut fullness, DNA concentration, PCR primer, collection method, and beetle species as predictor variables in a dominance analysis. Based on the gut barcodes, we generated a dung beetle-mammal network for both field sites (Ecuador and Germany) and analyzed the levels of network specificity. We successfully amplified mammal DNA from dung beetle gut contents for 128 specimens, which included such prominent species as (jaguar) and (puma). The overall success rate of DNA amplification was 53%. The best predictors for amplification success were gut fullness and DNA concentration, suggesting the success rate can be increased by focusing on beetles with a full gut. The mammal dung-dung beetle networks differed from purely random network models and showed a moderate degree of network specialization ( ': Ecuador = 0.49; Germany = 0.41). We here present a reliable method of extracting and amplifying gut-content DNA from dung beetles. Identifying mammal dung DNA reference libraries, we created mammal dung-dung beetle trophic networks. This has benefits over previous methods because we inventoried the natural mammal dung resources of dung beetles instead of using artificial mammal baits. Our results revealed higher levels of specialization than expected and more rodent DNA than expected in Germany, suggesting that the presented method provides more detailed insights into mammal dung-dung beetle networks. In addition, the method could have applications for mammal monitoring in many ecosystems.

Rewilding has been an increasingly popular tool to restore plant–animal interactions and ecological processes impaired by defaunation. However, the reestablishment of such processes has seldom been assessed. We investigated the restoration of ecological interactions following the reintroduction of the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) to a defaunated Atlantic forest site. We expected the reintroduction to restore plant–animal interactions and interactions between howlers and dung beetles, which promote secondary seed dispersal. We estimated the number of interactions expected to be restored by the reintroduction to provide the baseline interaction richness that could be restored. We followed the reintroduced howler monkeys twice a week for 24 months (337 hours total) to assess their diet. We used howler monkey dung in secondary seed dispersal experiments with 2484 seed mimics to estimate the removal rates by dung beetles and collected the beetles to assess community attributes. We compared the potential future contribution of howler monkeys and other frugivores to seed dispersal based on the seed sizes they disperse in other areas where they occur. In 2 years, howler monkeys consumed 60 animal-dispersed plant species out of the 330 estimated. Twenty-one dung beetle species were attracted to experimentally provided dung; most of them were tunnelers, nocturnal, and large-sized (>10 mm). On average 30% (range 0–100%) of the large seed mimics (14 mm) were moved by dung beetles. About 91% of the species consumed by howlers (size range 0.3–34.3 mm) overlapped in seed size with those removed by dung beetles. In our study area, howler monkeys may consume more large-seeded fruit species than most other frugivores, highlighting their potential to affect forest regeneration. Our results show reintroductions may effectively restore ecological links and enhance ecological processes. El resalvajamiento cada vez crece más como una herramienta popular para restaurar las interacciones entre animales y plantas, así como los procesos ecológicos perjudicados por la pérdida de fauna. Sin embargo, el restablecimiento de dichos procesos ha sido poco evaluado. Investigamos la restauración de las interacciones ecológicas después de la reintroducción del mono aulladorpardo (Alouatta guariba) a un sitiode bosque atlántico con pérdida de fauna. Nuestras expectativas planteaban que la reintroducción restauraría las interacciones planta–animal y las interacciones entre los monos y los escarabajos peloteros, la cual promueve la dispersión secundaria de semillas. Estimamos que el número de interacciones que se esperaba fueran restauradas proporcionaría la línea base para la riqueza de interacciones que podría ser restaurada. Seguimos a los monos aulladores reintroducidos dos veces por semana durante 24 meses (227 horas en total) para evaluar su dieta. Usamos las excretas de los monos en experimentos de dispersión secundariade semillas con 2484 imitaciones de semilla para estimar las tasas de extracción por parte de los escarabajos peloteros y luego los colectamos para evaluar los atributos de la comunidad. Comparamos la potencial contribución futura de los monos aulladores y otros frugívoros para la dispersión de semillas con base en el tamaño de las semillas que dispersan en otras áreas en donde están presentes. En dos años los monos aulladores consumieron 60 especies de plantas dispersadas por animales de las 330 estimadas. Veintiún especies de escarabajos peloteros fueron atraídos por las excretas proporcionadas experimentalmente; la mayoría de ellas eran excavadoras de túneles, nocturnas, y grandes (>10 mm). En promedio, el 30% (rango 0 – 100%) de las imitaciones de semillas grandes (14 mm) fueron movidas por los escarabajos peloteros. Aproximadamente el 91% de las especies consumidas por los monos aulladores (rango del tamaño 0.3 – 34.3 mm) se traslaparon en cuanto a tamaño de la semilla con aquellas removidas por los escarabajos peloteros. Con base en nuestras estimaciones para el área de estudio, los monos aulladores consumieron más frutos con semillas grandes que la mayoría de los frugívoros, lo que resalta su potencial para afectar la regeneración del bosque. Nuestros resultados muestran que las reintroducciones pueden restaurar efectivamente las conexiones ecológicas y mejorar los procesos ecológicos.

Dung beetles mostly feed on mammal dung. Throughout the European Alps, the dung produced by local domestic ungulates attracts many species of dung beetles, giving rise to rich and diversified communities that play an important role in the Alpine agricultural ecosystem. There is, therefore, understandable concern about the introduction of exotic livestock, such as alpacas (Vicugna pacos (Linnaeus, 1758)), into the region. This research studied dung beetle assemblages in an Alpine valley where both cattle and alpacas are raised. We used standardized pitfall traps baited with alpaca or cow dung along altitudinal transects to assess the “attractiveness” of the two resources to dung beetles. Most species entered both trap types. The average number of species per trap did not vary significantly and the nMDS trap ordination largely overlapped, but the total number of individuals and the average number of individuals per trap were higher in traps baited with alpaca dung. This difference was largely due to the preference of the dominant species Euheptaulacus carinatus (Germar, 1824) for alpaca dung-baited traps. Moreover, both the abundance and specific richness changed with altitude, being greatest in alpaca traps during July at intermediate altitudes. IndVal analyses showed that eight out of nine species (all Aphodiinae) showed a preference for alpaca traps. Since the microclimatic conditions (i.e., temperature) of the two trap types were virtually the same, it is reasonable to consider trophic preferences as the source of the observed differences. Finally, we also sampled the beetles present in the alpaca latrines and cow dung pats deposited on pastures, providing confirmation that dung beetles do indeed visit the dung of both species. Our results emphasize the usefulness of polyphagia and the trophic flexibility of dung beetles, providing evidence that the long history of pastoralism in the Alps has not led local species to adapt to the dung of domestic ungulates. The results also suggest that alpaca breeding could be a sustainable activity since, thanks to the work of dung beetles which feed upon and move the dung into their tunnels (as occurs with cattle dung), there is less need for farmers to remove the dung from pastures.

Protection of the world's remaining forests and biodiversity is a matter of global concern. Yunnan, China is home to China's only mainland tropical rainforests, and 20% of China's total biodiversity. Despite restoration measures and establishment of new protected areas, this region is still experiencing biodiversity loss due to inadequate management and monitoring. We evaluate restoration success of China's tropical forests in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve (XSBN-NNR), Yunnan, China using dung beetles as an indicator taxon. We sampled across a land-use gradient of human alteration: protected forest, restored forest, community owned forest, and rubber plantation. We collected 3,748 dung beetles from 21 species over a 3 month period. Multivariate analyses revealed unique assemblages in each land-use category, but with restored forest most similar to protected areas, suggesting restoration success in this region. Community forests were more diverse than plantations, suggesting that community forests may be a valuable and practical conservation tool in this region. Most species were generalists, although some had dietary and habitat preferences. Furthermore, dietary niche breadths were, on average, higher in disturbed areas, suggesting that disturbance may result in dietary changes. We show that restoration of tropical forests appears to be successful for a key ecological and biological indicator group- dung beetles. Furthermore, community-owned forests appear to be valuable and practical method of maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity in the region. Future management in this region would likely benefit from encouragement to maintain community-owned forests, economic incentives for restoring farmland to forest, and increased environmental monitoring across the land-use gradient.

The sustainability of the traditional extensive livestock sector will only be possible if healthy dung-decomposing insect communities are preserved. However, many current pharmaceutical anthelmintics are harmful to dung beetles, their presence can have a negative impact on biological systems. Phytochemical anthelmintics are an alternative to ecotoxic synthetic pharmaceutical anthelmintics, although ecotoxicological tests of their possible indirect effects on dung beetles are required to demonstrate their viability. In this study, the potential ecotoxicity of thymol, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil (diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide) were tested for the first time. Inhibition of antennal response was measured as a relevant parameter by obtaining relevant toxicity thresholds derived from concentration‒response curves, such as the IC 50 . All phytochemical compounds tested were demonstrated to be suitable alternative candidates to the highly ecotoxic compound ivermectin, considering their non-toxicity to nontarget organisms. Residues of the phytochemical antiparasitics found in cattle droppings were extremely low, even undetectable in the case of diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide. Furthermore, our results showed that none of the phytochemical compounds have ecotoxic effects, even at extremely high concentrations, including those almost 1000 times higher than what is most likely to be found in dung susceptible to ingestion by dung beetles in the field. We can conclude that the four selected phytochemical compounds meet the requirements to be considered reliable alternatives to ecotoxic veterinary medicinal products, such as ivermectin.

The recognition and use of food resources in animal species may vary according to availability. Trophic niche and resource availability are among the most important drivers involved in the coexistence of species, which may require specific resources or exploit a large variety of resources. Dung beetle species feed from a wide range of food resources, including feces, carrion, and rotten fruit. The aim of this study was to assess the attractiveness and preference of different food types (dung, carrion, and banana) for dung beetles from a region of Amazonian white-sand vegetation (Campinarana). Closely spaced sets of pitfall traps (5 m of distance between traps) baited with different food types were installed to test food preference, and widely-spaced traps (150 m of distance) baited with different food types to test food-type attractivity. Overall, we captured 76 dung beetles of nine species, where Deltochilum septemstriatum Paulian (1938), was classified as a specialist of carrion, Sylvicanthon proseni (Martínez, 1949) and Canthidium gr. lentum were considered specialists of human feces, no species was considered generalist. In terms of assemblage parameters, although food type did not affect species richness or individual abundance in both trap-spacing approaches, the species composition of beetles collected in carrion-baited traps was distinct from that in feces-baited traps. Seven out of nine species were attracted towards one of the resource types, regardless of the trap spacing design. Therefore, we conclude that diet of dung beetles that dwells in Campinaranas are relatively strict, with species being attracted mostly to carrion or feces, regardless of the availability of other food types.

Bioethanol from abundant and inexpensive agricultural and industrial wastes possesses the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Bioethanol as renewable fuel addresses elevated production costs, as well as food security concerns. Although technical advancements in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation have reduced the cost of production, one major drawback of this technology is that the pre-treatment process creates environmental stressors inhibitory to fermentative yeasts subsequently reducing bioethanol productivity. Robust fermentative yeasts with extreme stress tolerance remain limited. This review presents the potential of dung beetles from pristine and unexplored environments as an attractive source of extremophilic bioethanolic yeasts. Dung beetles survive on a recalcitrant lignocellulose-rich diet suggesting the presence of symbiotic yeasts with a cellulolytic potential. Dung beetles inhabiting extreme stress environments have the potential to harbour yeasts with the ability to withstand inhibitory environmental stresses typically associated with bioethanol production. The review further discusses established methods used to isolate bioethanolic yeasts, from dung beetles.

The evolutionary success of beetles and numerous other terrestrial insects is generally attributed to co-radiation with flowering plants but most studies have focused on herbivorous or pollinating insects. Non-herbivores represent a significant proportion of beetle diversity yet potential factors that influence their diversification have been largely unexamined. In the present study, we examine the factors driving diversification within the Scarabaeidae, a speciose beetle family with a range of both herbivorous and non-herbivorous ecologies. In particular, it has been long debated whether the key event in the evolution of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) was an adaptation to feeding on dinosaur or mammalian dung. Here we present molecular evidence to show that the origin of dung beetles occurred in the middle of the Cretaceous, likely in association with dinosaur dung, but more surprisingly the timing is consistent with the rise of the angiosperms. We hypothesize that the switch in dinosaur diet to incorporate more nutritious and less fibrous angiosperm foliage provided a palatable dung source that ultimately created a new niche for diversification. Given the well-accepted mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, we examine a potential co-extinction of dung beetles due to the loss of an important evolutionary resource, i.e., dinosaur dung. The biogeography of dung beetles is also examined to explore the previously proposed \"out of Africa\" hypothesis. Given the inferred age of Scarabaeinae as originating in the Lower Cretaceous, the major radiation of dung feeders prior to the Cenomanian, and the early divergence of both African and Gondwanan lineages, we hypothesise that that faunal exchange between Africa and Gondwanaland occurred during the earliest evolution of the Scarabaeinae. Therefore we propose that both Gondwanan vicariance and dispersal of African lineages is responsible for present day distribution of scarabaeine dung beetles and provide examples.

Anthropogenic disturbances such as fragmentation are rapidly altering biodiversity, yet a lack of attention to species traits and abundance patterns has made the results of most studies difficult to generalize. We determined traits of extinction-prone species and present a novel strategy for classifying species according to their population-level response to a gradient of disturbance intensity. We examined the effects of forest fragmentation on dung beetle communities in an archipelago of 33 islands recently created by flooding in Venezuela. Species richness, density, and biomass all declined sharply with decreasing island area and increasing island isolation. Species richness was highly nested, indicating that local extinctions occurred nonrandomly. The most sensitive dung beetle species appeared to require at least 85 ha of forest, more than many large vertebrates. Extinction-prone species were either large-bodied, forest specialists, or uncommon. These explanatory variables were unrelated, suggesting at least 3 underlying causes of extirpation. Large species showed high wing loading (body mass/wing area) and a distinct flight strategy that may increase their area requirements. Although forest specificity made most species sensitive to fragmentation, a few persistent habitat generalists dispersed across the matrix. Density functions classified species into 4 response groups on the basis of their change in density with decreasing species richness. Sensitive and persistent species both declined with increasing fragmentation intensity, but persistent species occurred on more islands, which may be due to their higher baseline densities. Compensatory species increased in abundance following the initial loss of sensitive species, but rapidly declined with increasing fragmentation. Supertramp species (widespread habitat generalists) may be poor competitors but strong dispersers; their abundance peaked following the decline of the other 3 groups. Nevertheless, even the least sensitive species were extirpated or rare on the smallest and most isolated islands.

Nutrient limitations have often caused the evolution of mechanisms for efficient nutrient acquisition. The mouthparts of adult dung beetles efficiently acquire nutrients from a fiber-rich diet. Conversely, primitive mouthparts force larvae to survive on a low-quality diet despite experiencing the most demanding growth stages. In this study, we investigated the nutritional conditions and microbial community of the larval diet through the nesting behavior of the dung beetle Copris acutidens. We revealed that diet quality (C/N ratio) increased during the process of making the brood ball, irrespective of dung type. The sequencing of the bacterial community based on a partial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal community that targeted ITS2 region revealed that the fungal community in the female gut was the closest to the larval diet, whereas the bacterial community was not. The proportion of fungal Trichosporonaceae tended to increase with a decreasing C/N ratio irrespective of dung type and was alive in the larval gut. We suggest that Trichosporonaceae is a gut symbiont of both the adult female and larvae of C. acutidens, which is transmitted to the dung mass and then to larval gut through the brood ball, and that females have evolved the extra effort processes in their nesting behavior to compensate for larval diet quality, which is likely associated with symbiont fungi within the family Trichosporonaceae.