Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae): response to bait size, bait type, farming intensifiction and habitat structure in central Zambia

Beynon, S.A.^a & Mann, D.J.^b

^a Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS

^b Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW

Funding: Varley Gradwell Travelling Fellowship in Insect Ecology

Associated University: University of Oxford

Advisor: D. J. Mann

Fieldwork dates: September-December 2005

Project dates: Ongoing project

Project Overview:

Follow this link to the 'fieldwork report'

News Updates:

I am currently sorting, pinning and labelling my dung beetle specimens from Zambia. I have a huge number of specimens to get through as my experiements generated a phenomenal amount of material. I am retaining all other insect orders and beetle families in order to identify at a later date.

I have eventually finished sorting, pinning and labelling the experiment looking at optimum bait sizes and a number of specimens have already been identified to species with the help of D. J. Mann at the Hope Entomological Collections, Oxford.

I am now about half way through sorting the experiment looking at the impact of burning an area on dung beetle assemblages. Below is a species that I have rather a lot of in this experiment. The major male with the large horn really is rather fabulous:

Relevant Documents:

→Research Proposal

→Article for Oxford University Alumni Magazine 

→Fieldwork Report

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