Who steals the eggs? Coprophanaeus telamon (Erichson) buries decomposing eggs in western Amazonian rain forest (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae)

摘要

The necrophagous dung beetle Coprophanaeus telamon (Erichson 1847) buried decomposing hen eggs in the rain forest of Ecuador. We suppose that the volatiles 2-butanone, cresol, indole, skatole, and butyric acid are responsible for attracting Coprophanaeus because these components of dung odour attract dung beetles and are also present in rotten eggs. A number of them are also produced by bacterial spoilage of raw meat. Abandoned clutches, infertile eggs or eggs with dead embryos of ground-nesting birds may be used as a resource by dung beetles.