Comparative patterns of dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) diversity in native fescue grassland and wooded habitats in the Cypress Hills, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Abstract Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae (Aphodiinae, Scarabaeinae) and some Geotrupidae) provide important ecosystem services on pastures by disrupting and burying deposits of cattle dung. The extent of these services is influenced by the number of individuals and species present, which may differ with habitat type. In the present study, we compared dung beetle assemblages in a mosaic of open grassland and wooded habitats on native fescue pastures in the Cypress Hills of southern Alberta, Canada. Using pitfall traps baited with cattle dung and operated from spring through autumn for two years at each of the two sites, we collected 4944 individuals representing 14 dung beetle species. More individuals and species were recovered in grassland habitat, which was dominated by nonnative species associated with cattle dung. Wooded habitat was dominated by a native species associated with deer dung. Dwellers (species that develop within the dung deposit) comprised 93% of the beetles recovered during the study. Significant variation in annual beetle counts in the two habitats highlights the value of studies conducted over multiple years. These results emphasise the importance of habitat diversity and interspecific habitat preference in structuring dung beetle assemblages on fescue grasslands, which are among the most threatened ecosystems in Canada.