HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS IN A SOUTH AFRICAN, SUMMER RAINFALL, DUNG BEETLE COMMUNITY (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE, APHODIIDAE, STAPHYLINIDAE, HISTERIDAE, HYDROPHILIDAE)

摘要

Habitat associations of an entire community of dung Coleoptera were studied under summer rainfall climate in southern Africa to determine principal factors influencing distribution and to identify species suitable for introduction into Australia for dung and fly control. In a quantitative analysis, the highest degree of habitat specialization was shown by three families. These were the soil tunneling and dung-burying Scarabaeidae, which dominated the community in terms of biomass, the Aphodiidae which also include some dung-burying species, and the pad-dwelling, predatory Histeridae. The remaining higher taxa showed pad-dwelling habits and were significantly more generalist in their habitat associations. These taxa comprised both predatory and coprophagous Staphylinidae and Hydrophilidae. This analysis was supported by the trends in species associations. There was a greater proportion of sand specialist species in more specialist higher taxa and a greater proportion of soil generalists in more generalist higher taxa. Similar proportions of clay specialists occurred in most higher taxa and the clay fauna overall was mostly more generalist than that on sand. The majority of species was abundant in more than one vegetation type. A greater proportion of species occurred in unshaded situations than shaded situations. This analysis of species habitat associations ensures that selected taxa are introduced into appropriate habitats in Australia. Comparison between the present work and published data shows a high level of intra-regional consistency in habitat associations of the same summer rainfall species. Intra-regional differences in the habitat associations of some other species may result from sampling effects, biotic interaction or environmental responses.