Dung Beetle iDNA Provides an Effective Way to Detect Diverse Mycological Communities

Fungi play crucial ecological and economic roles, yet their diversity and distribution remain poorly known and challenging to assess. Using recent advances in invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) for biodiversity monitoring, we investigated the potential of dung beetle iDNA for fungal sampling and monitoring. We sampled two habitats (rainforest vs. rubber plantation) and seasons (dry vs. rainy) in tropical Xishuangbanna, southwest China. We extracted, amplified and identified 9259 unique fungi Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) from the gut of three species of dung beetles (Paragymnopleurus sp., telecoprids; Onthophagus diabolicus, paracoprids; and Onthophagus cf. gracilipes, endocoprids). Fungal community composition was different across habitats and seasons, with the highest diversity found in the rainy season rainforest. Our results were consistent with previous eDNA-based studies based on soil samples in the detection of habitat differences (both approaches were able to detect low diversity of Basidiomycota in rubber plantations). However, our approach outperformed soil-based eDNA studies in being able to detect fungal occurrences associated with seasonal precipitation patterns. Our findings highlight the utility of dung beetle iDNA to uncover spatiotemporal dynamics of fungal communities across different habitats. The use of iDNA broadens fungal biodiversity research, strengthens fungal monitoring to assess anthropogenic impacts and presents opportunities to conserve fungal diversity.