Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

What microhabitat variables affect ants and dung beetle assemblages using dung-baited traps in the Southern Chihuahuan Desert?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Biologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Habitat complexity plays an important role in determining species richness and composition of ants and dung beetles, two groups of insects used as bioindicators. We assessed the influence of microhabitat structure on the species richness and abundance of the ant and dung beetle community in a semiarid environment of the Sierra de San Miguelito in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The two groups were sampled in 2017 using dung-baited pitfall traps distributed across four contrasting sampling sites from riparian to semiarid environments. We found that ant species richness and abundance were significantly affected by microhabitat structure but not those of dung beetles. By studying two contrasting groups we concluded that ants respond more to changes at the habitat level than at the landscape level, while beetle diversity responses can best be seen at the landscape level. This highlights the importance of multitaxon studies that enables us to describe patterns and differentiated responses of biodiversity, especially in dry environments, where climate changes are more marked.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alatorre-Bracamontes CE, Vásquez-Bolaños M (2010) Lista comentada de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del norte de México. Dugesiana 17:9–36. https://doi.org/10.32870/dugesiana.v17i1.3939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen AN (1997) Using ants as bioindicators: multiscale issues in ant community ecology. Conserv Ecol 1:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersen AN (2019) Responses of ant communities to disturbance: five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of a globally dominant faunal group. J Anim Ecol 88:350–362. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12907

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen AN, van Ingen LT, Campos RI (2007) Contrasting rainforest and savanna ant faunas in monsoonal northern Australia, a rainforest patch in a tropical savanna landscape. Aust J Zool 55:363–369. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO07066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade GM, Calderón de RG, Camargo- Ricalde SL, Grether R, Hernández MH, Martínez-Bernal A, Rico L, Rzedowski J, Sousa SM (2007) Leguminosae, subfamilia Mimosoideae. In: Rzedowski J, Calderón de Rzedowski G (eds) Flora del Bajío y Regiones Adyacentes. 150, 1–229

  • Aranda-Rickert A, Diez P, Marazzi B (2014) Extrafloral nectar fuels ant life in deserts. AoB Plants 6:plu068. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plu068

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Barbero E, López-Guerrero Y (1992) Some considerations on the dispersal power of Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius 1787) in the New World (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae). Trop Zool 5:115–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/03946975.1992.10539184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barragán F, Moreno CE, Escobar F, Bueno-Villegas J, Halffter G (2014) The impact of grazing on dung beetle diversity depends on both biogeographical and ecological context. J Biogeogr 41:1991–2002. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barragán F, Labastida J, Ramírez-Hernández A (2021) Response of dung beetle diversity to three livestock management systems in drylands of central Mexico. J Arid Environ 193:104598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braschler B, Baur B (2003) Effects of experimental small-scale grassland fragmentation on spatial distribution, density, and persistence of ant nests. Ecol Entomol 28:651–658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2311.2003.00549.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho RL, Andersen AN, Anjos DV, Pacheco R, Chagas L, Vasconcelos HL (2020) Understanding what bioindicators are actually indicating: linking disturbance responses to ecological traits of dung beetles and ants. Ecol Indic 108:105764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CONABIO (2018) EncicloVida. CONABIO. México. https://www.enciclovida.mx. Accessed 30 Oct 2018

  • Cottam G, Curtis JT (1956) The use of distance measures in phytosociological sampling. Ecology 37:451–460. https://doi.org/10.2307/1930167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawley M (2007) The R Book. Wiley, West Sussex

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Da Rocha JRM, Almeida JR, Linus GA, Durval A (2010) Insects as indicators of environmental changing and pollution: a review of appropriate species and their monitoring. HOLOS Environ 10:250–262. https://doi.org/10.14295/holos.v10i2.2996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis AL, Scholtz CH, Dooley P, Bham N, Kryger U (2004) Scarabaeinae dung beetles as indicators of biodiversity, habitat transformation and pest control chemicals in agroecosystems. S Afr J Sci 100:415–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Delgado L, Pérez A, Blackaller J (2000) Keys for determining the generic and supergeneric taxa of Scarabaeoidea Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera) of Mexico. Folia Entomol Mex 110:33–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández F (2003) Introducción a las hormigas de la región neotropical. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogota, Colombia

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank K, Hülsman M, Assmann T, Schmitt T, Blüthgen N (2017) Land use affects dung beetle communities and their ecosystem service in forests and grasslands. Agric Ecosyst Environ 243:114–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.04.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García E (2004) Modificaciones al sistema de clasificacion climatica de Köppen. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Geografía, México

  • Gardner SM, Cabido MR, Valladares GR, Diaz S (1995) The influence of habitat structure on arthropod diversity in Argentine semi-arid Chaco forest. J Veg Sci 6:349–356. https://doi.org/10.2307/3236234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham JH, Krzysik AJ, Kovacic DA, Duda JJ, Freeman DC, Emlen JM, Zak JC, Long WL, Wallace MP, Chamberlin-Graham C, Nutter JP, Balbach HE (2009) Species richness, equitability, and abundance of ants in disturbed landscapes. Ecol Indic 9:866–877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.10.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guzmán-Mendoza R (2004) Patrones de actividad de forrajeo de Pogonomyrmex barbatus en el valle semiárido intertropical de Zapotitlán Salinas, Puebla. Master’s thesis, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana

  • Guzmán-Mendoza R, Castaño-Meneses G, Herrera-Fuentes MDC (2010) Variación espacial y temporal de la diversidad de hormigas en el Jardín Botánico del valle de Zapotitlán de las Salinas, Puebla. Rev Mex Biodivers 81:427–435

    Google Scholar 

  • Guzmán-Mendoza R, Zavala-Hurtado JA, Castaño-Meneses G, León-Cortés JL (2014) Comparación de la mirmecofauna en un gradiente de reforestación en bosques templados del centro occidente de México. Madera y bosques 20:71–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guzmán-Mendoza R, Castaño-Meneses G, Nuñez-Palenius HG (2016) The diversity of ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their connections with other arthropods from three temperate forests of Central Mexico. Rev Biol Trop 64:571–585

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G, Edmonds WD (1982) The nesting behavior of dung beetles (Scarabaeinae): an ecological and evolutive approach. Man and the Biosphere Program UNESCO, Xalapa

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer O, Harper DAT, Ryan PD (2001) PAST: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontol Electron 4:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanski I (1980) Movement patterns in dung beetles and in the dung fly. Anim Behav 28:953–964. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(80)80157-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hastie TJ, Tibshirani RJ (1990) Generalized additive models. Chapman & Hall, Boca Raton

  • Jiménez-Carmona F, Carpintero S, Reyes-López JL (2020) Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as surrogates for epigeic arthropods in northern Andalusian ‘dehesas’(Spain). Sociobiology 67:201–212. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v67i2.4895

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaspari M, Wieser M (2000) Ant activity along moisture gradients in a neotropical forest. Biotropica 32:703–711. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2000.tb00518.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kishimoto-Yamada K, Hyodo F, Matsuoka M, Hashimoto Y, Kon M, Ochi T, Yamane S, Ishii R, Itioka T (2013) Effects of remnant primary forests on ant and dung beetle species diversity in a secondary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. J Insect Conserv 17:591–605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9544-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lasmar CJ, Ribas CR, Louzada J, Queiroz ACM, Feitosa RM, Imata MMG, Alves GP, Nascimento GB, Neves FS, Domingos DQ (2020) Disentangling elevational and vegetational effects on ant diversity patterns. Acta Oecol 102:103489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2019.103489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lassau SA, Hochuli DF (2004) Effects of habitat complexity on ant assemblages. Ecography 27:157–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2004.03675.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JSH, Lee IQW, Lim SLH, Huijbregts J, Sodhi NS (2009) Changes in dung beetle communities along a gradient of tropical forest disturbance in South-East Asia. J Trop Ecol 25:677–680. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467409990174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lessard JP (2019) Ant community response to disturbance: a global synthesis. J Anim Ecol 88:346–349. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12958

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mackay W, Mackay E (2002) The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Edwin Mellen Press, Lewinston

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh CJ, Feitosa RM, Louzada J, Ewers RM (2018) Is β-diversity of amazonian ant and dung beetles communities elevated at rainforest edges? J Biogeogr 45:1966–1979. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Falcón AP, Zurita GA, Ortega-Martínez IJ, Moreno CE (2018) Populations and assemblages living on the edge: dung beetles responses to forests-pasture ecotones. PeerJ 6:e6148. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6148

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Menke SB, Vachter N (2014) A comparison of the effectiveness of pitfall traps and Winkler litter samples for characterization of terrestrial ant (Formicidae) communities in temperate savannas. Gt Lakes Entomol 47:4. https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol47/iss2/4. Accessed 28 Jan 2022

  • Mitchell K (2007) Quantitative analysis by the point-centered quarter method. Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva. https://arxiv.org/abs/1010.3303. Accessed 26 June 2021

  • Montes de Oca E, Halffter G (1998) Invasion of Mexico by two dung beetles previously introduced into the United States. Stud Neotrop Fauna E 33:37–45. https://doi.org/10.1076/snfe.33.1.37.217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morales-Morales CJ, Ruíz Nájera R, Delgado L (2004) Coleoptera: primer registro de Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche, 1849) y datos nuevos de distribución de Digitonthophagus gazella (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) e Hybosorus illigeri (Reiche, 1853) (Coleoptera: Hybosoridae) para el estado de Chiapas. Dugesiana 11:21–23. https://doi.org/10.32870/dugesiana.v11i2.3803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morón MA (2003) Atlas de escarabajos de México. Coleoptera: Lamelicornia. Vol. II Familias Scarabaeidae, Trogidae, Passalidae y Lucanidae. Argania Editio, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  • Mostacedo B, Fredericksen TS (2000) Manual de métodos básicos de muestreo y análisis en ecología vegetal. Proyecto de Manejo Forestal Sostenible (BOLFOR), Santa Cruz

    Google Scholar 

  • Nichols E, Larsen T, Spector S, Davis AL, Escobar F, Favila M, Vulinec K (2007) Global dung beetle response to tropical forest modification and fragmentation: a quantitative literature review and meta-analysis. Biol Conserv 137:1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2007.01.023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Pacheco YP, Martínez-Gamba R, Solano-Flórez L (2019) Características generales del forrajeo de Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en la estación Primates - Colosó - Sucre (Colombia). Folia Entomol Mex (ns) 5:97–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Przybyszewski KR, Silva RJ, Vicente RE, Freitas JVG, Pereira MJB, Izzo TJ, Tonon DS (2020) Can baited pitfall traps for sampling dung beetles replace conventional traps for sampling ants? Sociobiology 67:376–387. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v67i3.5201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2022) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. https://www.R-project.org/. Accessed 26 Jan 2023

  • Ramírez-Hernández A, Micó E, Marcos-García M, Brustel H, Galante E (2014) The “dehesa”, a key ecosystem in maintaining the diversity of Mediterranean saproxylic insects (Coleoptera and Diptera: Syrphidae). Biodivers Conserv 23:2069–2086. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0705-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes-Reyes BG, Zamora-Villafranco E, Reyes-Reyes ML, Frias-Hernandez JT, Olalde-Portugal V, Dendooven L (2003) Decomposition of leaves of huisache (Acacia tortuoso) and mesquite (Prosopis spp) in soil of the central highlands of Mexico. Plant Soil 256:359–370. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026172906271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rico AL, Rodríguez A (1998) Flora del Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán. Fascículo 20. Mimosaceae R. Br., Tribu Acacieae Benth. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City

    Google Scholar 

  • Rocha-Ortega M, Coronel-Arellano H (2019) How predictable are the responses of ant and dung beetle assemblages to patch and landscape attributes in fragmented tropical forest landscapes? Landsc Ecol Eng 15:315–322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-018-0367-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scholtz CH, Davis ALV, Kryger U (2009) Evolutionary biology and conservation of dung beetles. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia

  • Secretaria de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental (SEGAM) (2019) Plan de Manejo Área Natural Protegida. Reserva Estatal Sierra de San Miguelito, San Luis Potosí

    Google Scholar 

  • Triplejorn CA, Johnson NF (2005) Borror and DeLong´s introduction to the study of insects. Thompson-Brooks/Cole, Belmont

    Google Scholar 

  • Uhey DA, Hofstetter RW, Remke M, Vissa S, Haubensak KA (2020) Climate and vegetation structure shape ant communities along elevational gradients on the Colorado Plateau. Ecol Evol 10:8313–8322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6538

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Van Schalkwyk J, Pryke JS, Samways MJ (2017) Wide corridors with much environmental heterogeneity best conserve high dung beetle and ant diversity. Biodivers Conserv 26:1243–1256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-017-1299-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasconcelos HL, Macedo ACC, Vilhena JMS (2003) Influence of topography on the distribution of ground-dwelling ants in an amazonian forest. Stud Neotrop Fauna E 38:115–124. https://doi.org/10.1076/snfe.38.2.115.15923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasconcelos HL, Frizzo TLM, Pacheco R, Maravalhas JB, Camacho GP, Carvalho KS, Koch EBA, Pujol-Luz JR (2014) Evaluating sampling sufficiency and the use of surrogates for assessing ant diversity in a neotropical biodiversity hotspot. Ecol Indic 46:286–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.06.036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaz-de-Mello FZ, Edmonds WD, Ocampo FC, Schoolmeesters P (2011) A multilingual key to the genera and subgenera of the subfamily Scarabaeinae of the New World (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Zootaxa 2854:1–73

  • Verdú JR, Numa C, Hernández-Cuba O (2011) The influence of landscape structure on ants and dung beetles diversity in a Mediterranean savanna-forest ecosystem. Ecol Indic 11:831–839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2010.10.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitford WG, Depree E, Johnson P (1980) Foraging ecology of two Chihuahuan desert ant species: Novomessor cockerelli and Novomessor albisetosus Insect Soc 27:148–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02229250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood SN, Augustin NH (2002) GAMs with integrated model selection using penalized regression splines and applications to environmental modelling. Ecol Model 157:939157–939177. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(02)00193-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the technical support given by Sandra Milena Gelviz-Gelvez, Alejandro Malagamba Rubio and Ricardo de Jesús Madrigal-Chavero. We appreciate the statistical support given by and discussions with Laura Yáñez-Espinosa. We thank Fernando Escobar-Hernández for help to corroborate the identification of dung beetle species. We extend our gratitude to the División de Ciencias Ambientales at the Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, A. C. for all the facilities to carry out this study. We thank Margaret Schroeder for checking the English grammar. Perla Tenorio-Escandón was granted a scholarship for graduate studies (1242285) by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT). Partial financial support was received from CONACYT with the project FORDECYT-CIIDZA (296354).

Funding

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, project FORDECYT-CIIDZA (296354).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, A. C. (IPICYT), SLP, Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, Col. Lomas, 4a. Sección, San Luis Potosí, C.P. 78216, México

    Perla Tenorio-Escandón & Erik J. Sánchez-Montes de Oca

  2. CONACYT-IPICYT/División de Ciencias Ambientales, Camino a la Presa de San José 2055, Col. Lomas, 4ª sección, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México

    Felipe Barragán & Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández

  3. Entomología, Centro de Estudios en Zoología, Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, México

    Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños

  4. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Ciudad del Conocimiento, Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo Km. 4.5, Col. Carboneras, Mineral de la Reforma, 42184, Hidalgo, Mexico

    Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón

Authors
  1. Perla Tenorio-Escandón
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Felipe Barragán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Erik J. Sánchez-Montes de Oca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization: Felipe Barragán, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Data curation: Perla Tenorio-Escandón, Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños, Erik J. Sánchez-Montes de Oca, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Formal Analysis: Perla Tenorio-Escandón, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández, Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón. Funding acquisition: Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Investigation: Perla Tenorio-Escandón, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández, Felipe Barragán. Methodology: Felipe Barragán, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Supervision: Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Visualization: Felipe Barragán, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Writing – original draft: Perla Tenorio-Escandón, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández. Writing – review & editing: Perla Tenorio-Escandón, Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños, Erik J. Sánchez-Montes de Oca, Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tenorio-Escandón, P., Barragán, F., Vásquez-Bolaños, M. et al. What microhabitat variables affect ants and dung beetle assemblages using dung-baited traps in the Southern Chihuahuan Desert?. Biologia 78, 2793–2801 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01411-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01411-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation