SAMPLING PROTOCOL FOR DUNG BEETLES (SCARABAEIDAE: SCARABAEINAE) IN RAPELD PLOTS
Keywords:
Sampling standardization; minimum sampling protocol; Scarabaeinae.Abstract
Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) are widely used as bioindicators of habitat quality in biodiversity studies due to their environmental sensitivity, broad geographic distribution, and ease of collection. In addition, they perform essential ecological functions in ecosystems, such as organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and secondary seed dispersal. Various capture methods are employed for sampling these beetles, and standardizing sampling protocols is crucial to ensure greater integration of databases and comparability of data across different areas. This study proposes the adoption of a minimum sampling protocol for dung beetles in RAPELD plots within the Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio), especially for studies on community and population ecology. The protocol consists of installing six pitfall traps, baited with human feces or a mixture of human and pig feces, at the 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250-meter marks of each plot. Samples should be collected after 48 hours, and the captured dung beetles sorted and identified in the laboratory. The use of baited pitfall traps with omnivore excrement, such as human feces or a mixture with pig feces, is an effective and consistent method for capturing dung beetles, allowing researchers to address questions at multiple levels of ecological organization. Furthermore, the standardized application of this dung beetle sampling protocol in RAPELD plots under PPBio will enable database integration, facilitate the comparison of patterns across regions, and optimize the execution of large-scale research.