Thomas Wassmer
The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (3), 603-618, (1 September 2014) https://doi.org/10.1649/072.068.0327
KEYWORDS: Seasonality, Aphodiinae, Scarabaeinae, Cercyon, Sphaeridium, Onthophagus, dung
A total of 17 species of Scarabaeidae (1,288 individuals) and nine species of Hydrophilidae (482 individuals) were sampled from a cattle and sheep farm in southeastern Michigan between March 2012 and May 2013. Seven of these species are native, while 19 species are of European origin. Despite the closeness of the farms (730 m), Otophorus haemorrhoidalis (L.), Sphaeridium lunatum F., and Sphaeridium scarabaeoides (L.) were found significantly more frequently on the cattle farm, whereas Labarrus pseudolividus (Balthasar), Oscarinus rusicola (Melsheimer), and Blackburneus stercorosus (Melsheimer) were found significantly more frequently on the sheep farm. The highest abundances of beetles were encountered between May and November and correlated with temperatures above 10°C. Eleven species occurred only from spring to summer, eight species occurred from summer until autumn, and six species showed a split pattern of spring to early summer, absence during summer, and a second occurrence in autumn. No beetles were found between 4 January and 16 April 2013. To further understand the invasive potential of adventive dung beetle species, seasonal patterns of species within the three groups were compared to seasonal patterns of the same species at more northern, more southern, and European locations and to predictions arising from climatic differences between these latitudes.