Changes in a Texas dung beetle community between 1975 and 1985 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae)

A quantitative survey of dung beetles in May 1985 at Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, resulted in 15 species with the two most common species, the introduced African Onthophagus gazella (Fab.) and the native O. alluvius H. & C., comprising 49% of the total samples. Neither of these was rec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Coleopterists bulletin 1986-12, Vol.40 (4), p.313-316
Main Authors: Howden, H.F, Scholtz, C.H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BIOCENOSE
BIOCENOSIS
BIOCOENOSIS
COLEOPTERA
Dung beetles
ECOLOGIA
ECOLOGIE
ECOLOGY
LLUVIA
ONTHOPHAGUS
onthophagus alluvius
ONTHOPHAGUS GAZELLA
PLUIE
RAIN
Scarabaeidae
TEXAS
Vegetation
Welders
Wildlife refuges
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Summary:A quantitative survey of dung beetles in May 1985 at Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, resulted in 15 species with the two most common species, the introduced African Onthophagus gazella (Fab.) and the native O. alluvius H. & C., comprising 49% of the total samples. Neither of these was recorded during a similar survey 10 years previously. Three uncommon species recorded in the earlier survey were not taken in 1985. The appearance at Welder of O. gazella since 1975 illustrates a successful introduction, whereas the appearance of O. alluvius seems to be the effect of a well-documented increase in annual rainfall.
ISSN:0010-065X
1938-4394