Exploring the relationship between dung beetles and mammalian species in Indian subcontinent

Abstract

Dung beetles are opportunistic feeders that consume various types of mammalian dung. In our study at Valmiki Tiger Reserve, India, we collected 5,645 individual dung beetles from two sites. At Site 1 (Sal Forest with Phoenix), we found 2,680 beetles across 45 species, while at Site 2 (Mixed moist Deciduous Forest), we recorded 965 beetles from 30 species. The highest species richness at Site 1 was in spotted deer dung, while at Site 2, it was in human feces; sambar dung had the lowest species richness at both sites. Sisyphus longipes was the most abundant dung beetle species at Site 1, and Onthophagus hamaticeps at Site 2. Resource partitioning among dung beetle species was generally low, indicating low food specialization. However, some species, like Paragymnopleurus sinuatus and Onthophagus crassicollis at Site 1, exhibited high dung specialization, while Copris sinicus and Sisyphus hirtus showed more generalized feeding patterns. At Site 2, Onthophagus hamaticeps and Onthophagus crassicollis displayed high dung specialization, whereas Caccobius unicornis and Onthophagus abreui were more generalized. This study suggests that the dung preference of dung beetles is species specific, and varies with both the mammalian species and the feeding site.