Abstract

CARDENAS-CASTRO, Estrella  and  PAEZ-MARTINEZ, Andrés. Reproductive behavior of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in laboratory conditions. Rev. Cienc. Agr. [online]. 2017, vol.34, n.1, pp.74-83. ISSN 0120-0135.  https://doi.org/10.22267/rcia.173401.64.

The dung beetles have a crucial role in the ecological balance in agroecosystems due to their importance in the cleaning of meadows and in soil fertility. The aim of this study was to determine the reproductive behavior of dung beetles in laboratory conditions. The beetles were collected directly from cow pats in five livestock farms in the Casanare foothills, Colombia. The maintenance, taxonomy, behavior, life cycle and reproduction rate were determined in the laboratory. The species found were: Ateuchus aeneomicans, Aphodius granarius, Aphodius sp., Dichotomius agenor, Dichotomius sp and Digitonthophagus gazella. Only A. aeneomicans could be maintained, its life cycle from egg to adult ranged between 60 to 68 days, and the reproductive rate estimate was 0.21 individuals per week. During six months of observation, the population of A. aeneomicans did not increase. Probably laboratory conditions were not optimal.

Keywords : beetles; life cycle; reproductive rate; livestock farm; agro ecosystem.

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