Resumen

PARDO-LOCARNO, Luis Carlos. DUNG BEETLES (COLEOPTERA-SCARABAEIDAE) FROM LLORÓ, DEPARTMENT OF CHOCÓ, COLOMBIA. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2007, vol.11, n.1, pp.377-388. ISSN 0123-3068.

Little information is available on the Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) or dung beetles found in the department of Chocó, Colombia. Samplings were accordingly carried out in the tropical rainforest area of Lloró, located at 5º 30’ N latitude and 76º 36’ W longitude, at an altitude of 65 m.a.s.l., to study the nesting and basic ecological characteristics of this beetle. Baits using feces and dead material were placed along the paths under the forest canopy for four days. Substratum preferences and activity timetables of the beetle were also examined. A total 835 specimens of Scarabaeinae were collected, belonging to 20 species, 15 of which are considered burrowers and 4 rollers. No endocoprid was collected. On day 1 of sampling, 65% of the species were collected, the three most abundant species being Dichotomius gamboaensis, Ontherus trituberculatus, and Canthon aequinoctialis. Eight species presented diurnal habits, six nocturnal, and four were crepuscular-nocturnal. Fifteen species behaved as coprophagous, while the rest were facultative. The complex of species recorded shared 50% or more of its elements with other lowland jungles of the Biogeographical Chocó, such as La Fragua (Cajambre River), Río Azul and Chancos (Calima River), and Unión Panamericana (Atrato River). But the complex differed greatly from that found in the colder jungles of the Biogeographical Chocó located 1000 m.a.s.l., sharing less than 20% of the species. At least 55% of the species found during this survey have also been recorded in the warm jungles of Panama. Further studies should be conducted on this complex of species for ecological and zoogeographic purposes.

Palabras clave : Coleoptera; Scarabaeinae; coprophagous insects; jungles; Lloró; Chocó; Colombia.

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