Abstract
The dung beetle tribes Deltochilini and Phanaeini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) play an important ecological role in the habitats in which they live. Despite much field work on these beetles in the Neotropical region, biological information on many taxa is still unknown. Here we provide information on species of Deltochilini and Phanaeini including temporal distribution of adults, sex ratio (Male : Female) and measurements of the individuals as well as on ecology and general biology of all species sampled in introduced (pasturelands of Brachiaria spp.) and native (patch of the Brazilian savanna) ecosystems of Brazil. Furthermore, our findings may help to understand the complexity of the effects of mixed ecosystems on the biodiversity of dung beetles.
Acknowledgements
AP thanks the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil) for scholarship support (process number 140989/2011-0) and the Graduate Program in Entomology of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV; Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil). CMAC thanks his father, Agenor Martinho Correa, for encouragement and logistical support for execution of this research, CNPq for scholarship support (134418/2013-1), and the Graduate Program in Agronomy of the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul. VK thanks the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil) for the research grant received (PNPD institucional). We thank Professor Dr. Cristiano Lopes-Andrade (UFV) for providing space and equipment at the Laboratory of Systematics and Biology of Coleoptera for sorting of Deltochilini and Phanaeini beetles, Professor Dr. Fernando Z. Vaz-de-Mello (UFMT) for identifying the dung beetle species, and Mr. Gélio Proença Brum for access to the study.