Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco
Dung beetles are important ecosystem engineers, as they utilize the excrement produced by animals. For nearly 60 years, several species of dung beetle have been introduced to Australia to help mitigate the problems caused by the accumulation of livestock dung. The twenty-three successfully establish...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Hasnae Hajji Abdellatif Janati-Idrissi Alberto Zamprogna José Serin Jean-Pierre Lumaret Nassera Kadiri Saleta Pérez Vila Patrick V. Gleeson Jane Wright Valérie Caron |
| author_facet | Hasnae Hajji Abdellatif Janati-Idrissi Alberto Zamprogna José Serin Jean-Pierre Lumaret Nassera Kadiri Saleta Pérez Vila Patrick V. Gleeson Jane Wright Valérie Caron |
| author_sort | Hasnae Hajji |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dung beetles are important ecosystem engineers, as they utilize the excrement produced by animals. For nearly 60 years, several species of dung beetle have been introduced to Australia to help mitigate the problems caused by the accumulation of livestock dung. The twenty-three successfully established species directly contribute to reducing the environmental impacts from dung accumulation, providing improvements to soil health, pasture productivity and pest fly reduction. Despite this success, there are still geographical and seasonal gaps in dung beetle activity, causing dung to remain on the soil surface. The continued importation of new dung beetle species is warranted to fill these gaps. One of the significant remaining gaps is during spring in southern Australia. Four spring-active dung species from Morocco were selected for a new importation program (2018–2022): <i>Euonthophagus crocatus</i>, <i>Onthophagus vacca</i>, <i>Onthophagus marginalis</i> subsp. <i>andalusicus</i> and <i>Gymnopleurus sturmi</i>. These species were surveyed at four sites in Morocco on an altitudinal gradient to assess their seasonal activity. The four species were found at all sites during spring, but in varying abundances, with different species dominating different sites. This is most likely due to differences in local conditions such as soil type. Seasonal activity varied depending on elevation. <i>Gymnopleurus sturmi</i> was found to be active later in the season and should be considered as a summer species. The four species selected will be, if they establish, a useful addition to the already introduced and established dung beetle fauna in Australia. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-da1222b259da4c978c8c32be3c2c04b72025-08-20T03:14:42ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-05-0116553810.3390/insects16050538Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from MoroccoHasnae Hajji0Abdellatif Janati-Idrissi1Alberto Zamprogna2José Serin3Jean-Pierre Lumaret4Nassera Kadiri5Saleta Pérez Vila6Patrick V. Gleeson7Jane Wright8Valérie Caron9Laboratoire de Biotechnologie, Conservation et Valorisation des Ressources Naturelles, Faculté des Sciences de Dhar El Mehraz, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, B.P. 1796 Fès-Atlas, Fez 30000, MoroccoLaboratoire de Biotechnologie, Conservation et Valorisation des Ressources Naturelles, Faculté des Sciences de Dhar El Mehraz, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, B.P. 1796 Fès-Atlas, Fez 30000, MoroccoCSIRO European Laboratory, 830 Avenue du Campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez, FranceCSIRO European Laboratory, 830 Avenue du Campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez, FranceCSIRO European Laboratory, 830 Avenue du Campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez, FranceCEFE, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier Paul Valéry, Route de Mende, 34199 Montpellier, FranceCSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Black Mountain, 2-40 Clunies Ross St., Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaCSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Black Mountain, 2-40 Clunies Ross St., Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaCSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Black Mountain, 2-40 Clunies Ross St., Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaCSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Black Mountain, 2-40 Clunies Ross St., Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaDung beetles are important ecosystem engineers, as they utilize the excrement produced by animals. For nearly 60 years, several species of dung beetle have been introduced to Australia to help mitigate the problems caused by the accumulation of livestock dung. The twenty-three successfully established species directly contribute to reducing the environmental impacts from dung accumulation, providing improvements to soil health, pasture productivity and pest fly reduction. Despite this success, there are still geographical and seasonal gaps in dung beetle activity, causing dung to remain on the soil surface. The continued importation of new dung beetle species is warranted to fill these gaps. One of the significant remaining gaps is during spring in southern Australia. Four spring-active dung species from Morocco were selected for a new importation program (2018–2022): <i>Euonthophagus crocatus</i>, <i>Onthophagus vacca</i>, <i>Onthophagus marginalis</i> subsp. <i>andalusicus</i> and <i>Gymnopleurus sturmi</i>. These species were surveyed at four sites in Morocco on an altitudinal gradient to assess their seasonal activity. The four species were found at all sites during spring, but in varying abundances, with different species dominating different sites. This is most likely due to differences in local conditions such as soil type. Seasonal activity varied depending on elevation. <i>Gymnopleurus sturmi</i> was found to be active later in the season and should be considered as a summer species. The four species selected will be, if they establish, a useful addition to the already introduced and established dung beetle fauna in Australia.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/538Scarabaeidaebiological controlspecies introduction<i>Onthophagus</i><i>Gymnopleurus</i> |
| spellingShingle | Hasnae Hajji Abdellatif Janati-Idrissi Alberto Zamprogna José Serin Jean-Pierre Lumaret Nassera Kadiri Saleta Pérez Vila Patrick V. Gleeson Jane Wright Valérie Caron Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco Insects Scarabaeidae biological control species introduction <i>Onthophagus</i> <i>Gymnopleurus</i> |
| title | Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco |
| title_full | Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco |
| title_fullStr | Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco |
| title_full_unstemmed | Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco |
| title_short | Filling the Spring Gap in Southern Australia: Seasonal Activity of Four Dung Beetle Species Selected to Be Imported from Morocco |
| title_sort | filling the spring gap in southern australia seasonal activity of four dung beetle species selected to be imported from morocco |
| topic | Scarabaeidae biological control species introduction <i>Onthophagus</i> <i>Gymnopleurus</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/5/538 |
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