Habitat specificity in African dung beetles: the effect of soil type on the survival of dung beetle immatures (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae)

The immature stages of two dung beetle species Allogymnopleurus thalassinus Klug 1855 and Allogymnopleurus consocius Peringuey 1900 were reared in the laboratory in three textural classes of soil under different conditions of soil moisture in order to determine whether differential mortality in different soil types could help explain the strong associations between soil type and beetle abundance in the field. Larvae survived well in dry and moist soil treatments, regardless of soil type, but poorly in wet soil treatments. The effect of soil moisture on the distribution of both species in different soil types is discussed.

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