Seasonal activity of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) associated with cattle dung in southern Alberta and their geographic distribution in Canada

摘要

Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) were pitfall trapped (using cattle dung bait) at 2 sites in southern Alberta, Canada, from 1993 to 1995. A 3-year total of 156 500 specimens representing 17 species was collected. Local assemblages were dominated, in descending order, by the exotic species Onthophagus nuchicornis, Aphodius prodromus, A. distinctus and A. fimetarius. A. vittatus was the most common native species. Exotic species also collected were A. granarius, A. fossor, A. haemorrhoidalis and, with 1 individual, A. erraticus. Although adults were collected from mid-March to mid-November, the activity of individual species either peaked in the spring and again in the autumn, or peaked once in spring to midsummer. Maps showing the Canadian distributionsfor 15 of these species were compiled from examination of collections and published records and identify 10 new provincial records. Most distributions are transcontinental, with the distribution of O. nuchicornis likely expanding only in the last 20-30years to include Alberta and Saskatchewan. A. erraticus and A. ruricola have not been previously reported from British Columbia. A. pinguellus, Canthon praticola and A. coloradensis are restricted to western Canada. The other species mapped were A. leopardus and A. pinguis.