Study of the role of dung beetles in recycling dung at Bugac, Hungary
Abstract
In collaboration with an international investigation we experimentally examined decomposition scales of Hungarian dung beetle assemblages on dung of the three most significant grazer species of livestock (horse, cattle, sheep). The study site was in Kiskun LTER, Bugacpuszta, Kiskunság. Removal and consumption activity of five functional groups (dwellers, large tunnelers, small tunnelers, large rollers, small rollers) of dung beetles were examined separately and combined with exclusion method. Beetle communities were sampled with two kinds of pitfall traps which were collected 744 individuals of 23 species in total. Further 11 species were detected by additional hand collecting. Found species representing only 3 functional groups: small tunnelers (12 species), large tunnelers (3 species) and dwellers (19 species). Rollers were not found, however, Euoniticellus pallipes, a species very rare in Hungary, was present. Dung beetle species were attracted variously to different herbivore’s dungs. Most important dung consumers were small tunnelers, consumption rates in exclosures varied between 10-40 %.
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