Dung beetles of an Australian tropical savanna: Species composition, food preferences and responses to experimental fire regimes

• Published in: Austral ecology Vol. 45; no. 7; pp. 958 - 967
• Main Authors: Carvalho, Raquel L., Weir, Tom, Vasconcelos, Heraldo L., Andersen, Alan N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Richmond Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2020
• Subjects: Aquatic birds; Australia; Australian monsoonal tropics; Baits; Beetles; Body length; Coleoptera; Composition; dogs; Dung; dung beetles; Ecological studies; fauna; feces; fire experiment; fire regime; fire severity; Food; food choices; Food composition; Food preferences; Food resources; Food sources; habitats; Herbivores; Indigenous species; Insects; Mushrooms; Onthophagus; Savannahs; savannas; Species composition; species diversity; Tropical environments; tropics; Tunnels; vegetation cover; Vertebrates; wildfires; Wildlife; Wildlife habitats; Woody plants; Zoo animals; Australia

Dung beetles are an ecologically important group of insects globally, but the ecology of the Australian fauna is poorly known. Here, we report on the first ecological study of dung beetles in an Australian tropical savanna, documenting species composition, food preferences and responses to fire. Dun...