Where should I perch? The effects of body size, height, and leaf surface on the vertical perching position of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in an Amazonian area

Among dung beetles, ‘sit and wait’ comprise a common strategy, in which individuals perch on leaves. The goal of this study was to assess the spatial dynamics of dung beetle perching in a region of the Amazon. We analysed the intra‐ and interspecific relationships between individual body size, leaf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Austral ecology 2024-09, Vol.49 (9), p.n/a
Main Authors: Cerqueira, Leonardo Vilas‐Bôas M. P., Cassiano, Liara de Azevedo, Santos, Lucas Liesak Sant’ Ana, Noriega, Jorge Ari, Cupello, Mario, Vaz‐de‐Mello, Fernando, Salomão, Renato Portela
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beetles
Body size
Coleoptera
competition
Dung
Functional groups
Geographical distribution
Group dynamics
Interspecific relationships
Leaf area
Life history
resource search
Scarabaeinae
Species
traits
Vertical distribution
Vertical orientation
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Summary:Among dung beetles, ‘sit and wait’ comprise a common strategy, in which individuals perch on leaves. The goal of this study was to assess the spatial dynamics of dung beetle perching in a region of the Amazon. We analysed the intra‐ and interspecific relationships between individual body size, leaf area, leaf shape, and the height at which beetles perched. When analysing intraspecifically, the larger individuals of Canthidium bicolor perched higher than the small ones. When considering the three most abundant species, the smallest species (C. bicolor) perches lower, the intermediate species (Canthidium deyrollei) perches higher, and the largest species (Canthon triangularis) perches at an intermediate height. The leaf area also explained the vertical distribution, both when considering all individuals and intraspecific for C. bicolor, where there is a positive relationship between leaf area and perch height. Our results suggest that intra‐ and interspecific perching dynamics also depend on species life history, which could be further analysed under functional group approaches.
ISSN:1442-9985
1442-9993
DOI:10.1111/aec.13588