2017 Volume 16 Issue 2 Pages 109-119
Dung beetles (coprophagus group of Scarabaeoidea) are useful indicators of habitat quality in tropical regions. In December of 2006 through 2008, we carried out surveys of the beetles using pitfall traps baited with human excrement and fish meat at 30 sites, 10–40 km north of Balikpapan, lowland of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. From these surveys we collected a total of 65 species and 8,073 individual dung beetles, and listed in the table. To provide a useful reference for future studies evaluating forest environments using assemblages of dung beetles, we stimated diet and habitat preferences of 44 species with collections of more than 5 individuals. Forty-one of the 44 species were collected with traps baited with both human excrement and fish meat. For 8 species the total of catch did not exceed 70% in either of the two bait types, and 5 of the 8 species were endemic to Borneo. Regarding habitat, 36 species abundant in natural forests were rarely collected in anthropogenic-destroyed forests, plantation forests, and open-lands, except for 7 species that were also abundant in such habitats. Catharsius renaudpauliani was only one species that was expected to reside mainly in destroyed forests and plantation forests. Seven species abundant in openlands were rarely collected in natural forests. Species abundant in natural forests tend to have narrow distribution ranges, while species abundant in open-lands tend to have wide distribution ranges.
