Notes on Behavior of Synapsis tmolus (Fischer von Waldheim, 1821) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) Using a Low-Impact Marking Method in Southern Kazakhstan

We report the emergence dynamics of the seasonal beetle Synapsis tmolus (Fischer von Waldheim, 1821) in the wild, using a successful low-impact marking method. Our results support scarification methods as more reliable than paint and safer than the potentially harmful marking methods, such as electro-burning marks. We found out that the abundance of S. tmolus adults responded to changes in ambient temperature, the beetles emerging during warming events and disappearing after prolonged cold bouts. Additionally, the parental behavior responded to resource availability, with the adults carrying dung balls and burying them at greater distances from the source when facing competition for manure with conspecifics.