Dung Beetle Assemblages Attracted to Cow and Horse Dung: The Importance of Mouthpart Traits, Body Size, and Nesting Behavior in the Community Assembly Process
| Autor: | José R. Verdú, Fernando Casanoves, Mattia Tonelli, Victoria C. Giménez Gómez, Mario Zunino |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Alicante. Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad, Biodiversidad y Biotecnología aplicadas a la Biología de la Conservación |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
environmental filter
Range (biology) Science Zoology Scarabaeoidea Functional diversity Article General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology purl.org/becyt/ford/1 [https] Niche partitioning Trophic preference Zoología functional traits purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6 [https] Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Feces Dung beetle Trophic level biology Niche differentiation Paleontology Environmental filter functional diversity biology.organism_classification Arthropod mouthparts trophic preference Space and Planetary Science niche partitioning Cow dung Functional traits |
| Zdroj: | RUA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Alicante Universidad de Alicante (UA) CONICET Digital (CONICET) Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas instacron:CONICET Life; Volume 11; Issue 9; Pages: 873 Life, Vol 11, Iss 873, p 873 (2021) Life |
| Popis: | Dung beetles use excrement for feeding and reproductive purposes. Although they use a range of dung types, there have been several reports of dung beetles showing a preference for certain feces. However, exactly what determines dung preference in dung beetles remains controversial. In the present study, we investigated differences in dung beetle communities attracted to horse or cow dung from a functional diversity standpoint. Specifically, by examining 18 functional traits, we sought to understand if the dung beetle assembly process is mediated by particular traits in different dung types. Species specific dung preferences were recorded for eight species, two of which prefer horse dung and six of which prefer cow dung. Significant differences were found between the functional traits of the mouthparts of the dung beetles attracted to horse dung and those that were attracted to cow dung. Specifically, zygum development and the percentage of the molar area and the conjunctive area differed between horse and cow dung colonizing beetles. We propose that the quantitative differences in the mouthpart traits of the species attracted to horse and cow dung respectively could be related to the differential capacity of the beetles to filtrate and concentrate small particles from the dung. Hence, the dung preference of dung beetles could be related to their ability to exploit a specific dung type, which varies according to their mouthpart traits. Moreover, we found that larger and nester beetles preferred cow dung, whereas smaller and non-nester beetles preferred horse dung. This finding could be related to the tradeoff between fitness and parental investments, and to the suitability of the trophic resource according to the season and species phenology. Fil: Tonelli, Mattia. Universidad de Alicante; España. Università Degli Studi Di Urbino Carlo Bo; Italia Fil: Gimenez Gomez, Victoria Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Verdú, José R.. Universidad de Alicante; España Fil: Casanoves, Fernando. Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza; Costa Rica Fil: Zunino, Mario. Asti Academic Centre for Advanced Studies; Italia |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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