Abstract
The scarab beetle fauna (Coleoptera Scarabacoidea) on Spotted Hyaena, Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben 1777), scats was investigated to identify the feeding guilds of scarabs on an unusual dung substrate. During 19 months inspecting hyaena latrines and surrounding roads, 69 specimens of 8 species of Scarabaeoidea (Trogidae and Scarabaeidae) were collected from 200 hyaena faeces samples and 17 samples of ...
Abstract
The scarab beetle fauna (Coleoptera Scarabacoidea) on Spotted Hyaena, Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben 1777), scats was investigated to identify the feeding guilds of scarabs on an unusual dung substrate. During 19 months inspecting hyaena latrines and surrounding roads, 69 specimens of 8 species of Scarabaeoidea (Trogidae and Scarabaeidae) were collected from 200 hyaena faeces samples and 17 samples of regurgitated hairs. With increasing amount of hairs in the samples, attraction to hyaena faeces increased (from dry, white faeces to soft, brownish faeces to regurgitated hairs). Most of the scarab species that we found feed generally on carrion and omnivore/carnivore dung. Three species have not previously been found on carrion but are likely to be (facultative) necrophages. Further records of beetles from hyaena faeces indicate that almost all species that are attracted by this bait are at least facultatively necrophagous. The dung part of their diet consists mainly of omnivore or carnivore faeces as is usual for necro-coprophagous species.
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