Microstatial Distribution of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in Horse Excrement in the Southern Sikhote-Alina, Russia

摘要

The differentiation by microsites of the population of dung beetles inhabiting horse droppings in the southern Sikhote-Alin, Primorsky krai, has been studied for the first time. The heterogeneity of the substrate has a significant effect on the distribution of beetles among microstations. The key factor affecting the seasonal dynamics of the species composition, abundance, and biomass of beetles in different parts of the droppings are the temperature and humidity regime. It is shown that the confinement of certain species of dung beetles to areas of horse manure can serve as a way of dividing their ecological niches and a way of avoiding competition within one functional group.