Can saprophytic Scarabaeidae be designated generalists or specialists?
Adrienne E. Smith and David J. Horn. The Ohio State University, Department of Entomology, 1735 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH Ephemeral resources are excellent environments in which to study the dynamics of resource partitioning within insect communities. Among the many groups of organisms that exploit decomposing substrates, such as dung and carrion, is the beetle family Scarabaeidae. Among this diverse group are multiple guilds, which partition temporary resources in time and space. This study investigated how selected scarab species partition resources in time, and to determine the volatile chemical profile of these resources throughout decomposition. The response of two species, Ateuchus histeroides and Geotrupes splendidus, to decomposing dung, carrion, and fungi was tested in a controlled environment. Beetles were allotted 10 minutes to respond to a single resource in a wind tunnel. Each resource was tested at 24-hour intervals of decay from 0 to 168 hours. Ordinal logistic regression sh
