BESOUROS COPRO-NECRÓFAGOS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE <i>SENSU STRICTO</i>) DO MUNICÍPIO DE BAGÉ, RS (BIOMA CAMPOS SULINOS)

Abstract

The Scarabaeidae family has many important species for the various ecosystems. For the ‘Região da Campanha’ of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, which presents extensive areas of natural grasslands, used principality by cattle, stand out the benefic actuation of the dung beetles as cattle dung pats decomposers and enemies of coprobiont pests. Thus, we conducted a survey of the dung beetles in native grassland of the Embrapa Pecuária Sul, Bagé, RS, during Dec/2006 and Nov/2007. Eight pitfall traps were used to collects and installed in two transects, and baited human dung and carcass chicken. We captured 565 dung beetles identified in 17 species. Onthophagus hirculus Mannerhein, 1829 (193 individuals) and Canthon ornatus bipunctatus Redtenbacher, 1867 (83 individuals) were the most abundant species. The coprophagy was the most common eating habits among the species (seven species – 39%). Only three species were considered copro-necrophagous (Canthidium moestum Harold, 1867, Canthon bispinus (Germar, 1824) and Canthon podagricus Harold, 1868). The highest activity of the dung beetles occurred during the summer.