Abstract

MIRANDA-FLORES, Karen Pamela et al. Landscape diversity and removal of manure by dung beetles in pastures of northern Veracruz. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2020, vol.91, e912792.  Epub Dec 22, 2020. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2020.91.2792.

We analyzed the composition of species and evaluated the efficiency in the removal of cow dung by dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) in 2 livestock areas of northern Veracruz (Tamiahua and Tlacolula) with different landscape during the rainy and dry seasons. Tamiahua, with grasslands without tree vegetation, only with isolated trees, and Tlacolula, with tree vegetation around the grasslands and live fences. Five species were collected in Tamiahua and 16 in Tlacolula. The most abundant species in Tamiahua were: Canthidium pseudopuncticolle Harold, Canthon cyanellus cyanellus LeConte, and Digitonthophagus gazella Fabricius, in Tlacolula: C. c. cyanellus, Coprophanaeus pluto Harold, and C. pseudopuncticolle. During the rainy season, the removal of dung was greater in the Tlacolula grasslands than in the Tamiahua grasslands; however, in both locations, there was no removal of excrement during the dry season. In both areas, the dominant species in the dung removal process was D. gazella, an African introduced species. Our results suggest that the reincorporation of manure is affected by the species composition, the time of year and that heterogeneous environments favor the diversity of dung beetle species in livestock areas of northern Veracruz.

Keywords : Beetles; Dung; Grassland; Removal.

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