Dung feeding in adult scarabaeines (tunnellers and endocoprids): Even large dung beetles eat small particles

Abstract

1. The maximum size of ingested particles was determined in 15 species of adult dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) by mixing small latex or glass balls of known diameter into the dung used as food. Twelve species (tribes Coprini, Onitini, Oniticellini, and Onthophagini) were tunnellers (making dung stores for feeding and breeding in the soil below the pat) and three species (tribe Oniticellini) were endocoprids (feeding and breeding in the dung pat itself). 2. The test species, covering a wide range of body size (fresh weights 0.05-7.4 g), ingested minute particles only (maximum diameter 8-50 μm), and there was a statistically significant but numerically small increase in particle size with body weight. 3. When the effect of body size was taken into account, taxon (tribe), ecological group (tunneller/endocoprid), and dung preference (coarse/fine) had no significant effect on the size of ingested particles. 4. Tests using two tunnelling species did not indicate that beetles use their mandibles to grind dung particles prior to ingestion. 5. The results suggest essentially the same feeding mechanism in all adult tunnelling or endocoprid scarabaeines that eat fresh dung. Larger, indigestible plant fragments are avoided by filtration, and ingestion is confined to very small particles of higher nutritional value.