insects
''Naturam ducem sequentes numquam aberrarimus''
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DUNG BEETLES AND POLLİNATİON
For some plant species, dung beetles are crucial (and sometimes obligate) pollinators; this is the case for some decay-scented flowers belonging to the plant families Lowiaceae and Araceae (Nichols et al. 2008). One of the first scientific observations of dung beetle dependent pollination of a carrion-scented plant (Typhonium tribolatum, Araceae) by Gleghorn in India was cited in Arrow (1931); the dung beetles involved are Onthophagus tarandus and Caccobius diminituvus. In the Lebanon, it was reported by Gibernau et al. (2004) that the two dung beetles species O. ovatus and O. sellatus pollinate the dung/carrion-scented plant Arum dioscordis (Araceae) and Meeuse and Hatch (1960) observed beetle pollination in the plant genera Dracunculus and Sauromatum (Araceae). Four different carrion-feeding Onthophagus species (O. waterstradti, O. fujii, O. aurifex, O. vulpes) and two species of Paragymnopleurus (P. pauliani, P. striatus) were also found to be obligate pollinators of Orchidantha inquei, a Bornean carrion-scented member of the highly relictual plant family Lowiaceae (Sakai and Inoue 1999). This flower does not secret any nectar and the visiting beetles do not seem to receive any other reward. The beetles presumably follow the dung-like odour of the flower and then search the flowers for dung. Since the flower does not provide any reward in form of food or protection to the beetles, this form of pollinator attraction has been called “deceit pollination” (Sakai and Inoue 1999). *
Photo: The Dung Beetle Paragymnopleurus pauliani (Scarabaeidae) Visiting the Zygomorphic Flower of Orchidantha inouei (Lowiaceae) **
* : Scholtz, C. H., Davis, A. L. V. and Kryger, U., 2009, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Dung Beetles. Pensoft Publisher.
** : Sakai, S., Inoue, T., 1999. A new pollination system: Dung-beetle
pollination discovered in Orchidantha inouei (Lowiaceae, Zingiberales) in Sarawak, Malaysia. American Journal of Botany 86, 56–61.
dung beetle pollinator pollination Paragymnopleurus Onthophagus Lowiaceae araceae Caccobius Dracunculus Sauromatum Typhonium Scarabaeinae Scarabaeidae waterstradti pauliani vulpes aurifex fujii sellatus ovatus diminituvus arum
Onthophagus granulatus (by Savina Hopkins on Flickr)
* Dung Beetle
beetles Onthophagus granulatus Onthophagus dung beetle Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae art drawing illustration picture
Onthophagus fracticornis (Preyssler, 1790) (by andrea hallgass on Flickr)
* Dung beetle
Onthophagus coleoptera fracticornis insetti macro Onthophagus fracticornis dung beetle Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae
Onthophagus taurus ♂ (Schreber, 1759) (by andrea hallgass on Flickr)
*Dung beetle
Onthophagus coleoptera insetti macro taurus Onthophagus taurus male Onthophagus taurus dung beetle Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae
Male Variation in Dung Beetles by AlexanderWild on Flickr.
* Onthophagus taurus
Coleoptera Insect Insects Onthophagus Scarabaeidae beetle beetles biology dimorphism dung evolution Onthophagus taurus
Coleoptera Coleopteraus Kaefer Beetle Insect Scarabaeidae Onthophagus kchatriya Onthophagus kchatriya Indien Südasien Southasia
Coleoptera Coleopteraus Kaefer Beetle Insect Scarabaeidae Onthophagus tricornis Onthophagus tricornis China
Coleoptera Coleopteraus Kaefer Beetle Insect Scarabaeidae Onthophagus imperialis Proagoderus Onthophagus imperialis Indien India Südasien Southasia
Coleoptera Coleopteraus Kaefer Beetle Insect Scarabaeidae Onthophagus pactolus Onthophagus pactolus Indien India Südasien Southasia
Coleoptera Coleopteraus Kaefer Beetle Insect Scarabaeidae Onthophagus Proagoderus schwaneri Onthophagus schwaneri Proagoderus schwaneri Indonesia Indonesien Borneo Südostasien Southeastasia
Africa Afrika Beetle Onthophagus Onthophagus nigricornis Proagoderus Proagoderus nigricornis Scarabaeidae nigricornis
