Diversidade e período de atividade de besouros escarabeíneos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) da Estação Ecológica do Tapacurá

Abstract

Scarab beetles are detritivorous insects popularly known as “dung beetles”. They have a varied feeding habit, in general they can feed on feces (coprophages), decaying meat (necrophages) or decaying fruits (saprophages), or even on more than one type (generalist). Besides that, they play a very important role as bioindicators, as they are highly sensitive to environmental changes, undergoing changes in the structure of their community. Deforestation and fragmentation of forest environments are some of the most damaging disturbances to biodiversity by which scarab beetles are heavily affected. The Atlantic Forest is one of the Brazilian biomes in the most critical state of degradation, listed as one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots. The objective of this work was to know the diversity and period of activity of scarab beetles in the Atlantic Forest fragment of Tapacurá Ecological Station (8° 02′ 27.8″S and 35° 11′ 46.3″W), located in the municipality of São Lourenço da Mata, Pernambuco. Two samples were carried between the months of february and march, and march and april, where ten points were determined, distributed in order to form a transect. At each point, a set of two pitfall traps was installed, totaling 20 traps per area. Pitfalls were baited with fresh human feces and rotten bovine spleen. A total of 940 individuals distributed in five tribes, seven genera and 18 species of Scarabaeinae were captured. The most abundant species were Canthon terciae (34.47%), Deltochilum kolbei (23.40%) and Dichotomius guaribensis (14.47%). Of the 18 species collected, only 12 occurred in sufficient numbers to be classified in trophic guilds. Among these, seven were considered necrophagous , five generalists, and none were coprophagous. As for the period of activity, four species showed diurnal activity, four showed nocturnal activity, and another four species were considered of continuous activity. Rényi’s diversity profiles showed that the carrion bait had a greater diversity of species taking into account the most abundant species, and the feces bait was more diverse considering the rarest species.