Habitat type and seasonal variation in dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) community structure in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) feed on decomposing animal carcasses and mainly on dung that are also used for building their nests. This study aims to estimate the dung beetles ecosystems services in relation to dung removal and to secondary seed dispersal, as well as to characterize the beetles community based on richness, abundance, species composition and functional guilds, and verify how these ecological indicators are influenced by the habitat type and by the seasonal variation (dry and rainy season). The dung removal rate was only affected by the seasonal variation and was higher during the dry season. The seed dispersal presented a positive relation with the proportion of the dung removal. The richness and abundance of dung beetles were greater during the dry season; however, these indicators were not influenced by habitat types. The forest patch and pasture area only differed in relation to composition of species but the number of represented species of each functional guild did not vary significantly between the habitats. This study emphasizes the functional importance of dung beetles in ecosystems through their efficient development of primary (dung removal) and secondary (seed dispersal) ecosystem functions. Key-words: Richness, abundance, dung removal, seeds dispersal, seasonality.