Seasonal study of dung beetles assemblage at Chitradurga, Karnataka, India

AbstractIn this study, a total of 18 dung beetles species, belonging to 6 different tribes and 8 genera were identified during the course of the survey. Species richness and abundance are highest during the monsoon season compared to winter and summer, indicating seasonal influence on dung beetle activity and community structure. Bray-Curtis similarity analysis showed summer assemblage is more dissimilar from the wetter and winter seasons, highlights ecological response to environmental stress. Results showed good assemblage of dung beetle species with seasonal variation. Canonical correspondence analysis showed the insignificant Eigen value indicate that the measured climatic variables do not significantly explain the variation in dung beetle community composition in this study. The re-evaluating of dung beetles diversity across different regions is crucial due to ongoing environmental changes, evolving land use and emerging conservation priorities.