Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species
Dung beetle functional ecology has traditionally focused on studying the relation between traits and ecosystem functions in multispecies assemblages, often ignoring the contribution of behavioral interactions and trait variability within species. Here we focus on the factors that affect dung removal...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.863669/full |
| _version_ | 1818669848558829568 |
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| author | Beatrice Nervo Alex Laini Angela Roggero Fabrizio Fabbriciani Claudia Palestrini Antonio Rolando |
| author_facet | Beatrice Nervo Alex Laini Angela Roggero Fabrizio Fabbriciani Claudia Palestrini Antonio Rolando |
| author_sort | Beatrice Nervo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dung beetle functional ecology has traditionally focused on studying the relation between traits and ecosystem functions in multispecies assemblages, often ignoring the contribution of behavioral interactions and trait variability within species. Here we focus on the factors that affect dung removal at an intraspecific level in two horned dung beetle species with dimorphic males (Onthophagus taurus and Onthophagus verticicornis). By setting treatments for each species with single individuals (one female, F; one major male, M; one minor male, m) or with pairs of individuals (MF, mF, MM, mm, FF), we examined the effect on dung removal of morphological traits (head, pronotum, leg, horn), sex, and interactions between individuals. Our results showed that dung removal at an intraspecific level depended more on sex and behavioral interactions than on the underlying morphological traits, whose effects on dung removal were negligible. Single females generally removed more dung than single males, which suggests that females are more effective than males. In both species, pairs with at least one female (MF, mF, FF) showed high dung removal efficiency, but did not perform differently from the sum of single treatments (M + F, m + f, F + F). This suggests an additive effect: males and females (or two females) join their efforts when they are together. The pairs with only males (MM and mm) removed less dung than the sum of the single individuals (M + M and m + m), which indicates a mutual inhibition of males. In both species, male morphs performed similarly as they removed the same amount of dung. Despite our results are limited to two Onthophagus species, we suggest that the intraspecific functional ecology of dung beetles might be more influenced by behavioral interactions and sex rather than by morphological traits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:58:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50c94fe0a8d34207940671ec2c3701cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:58:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-50c94fe0a8d34207940671ec2c3701cd2022-12-21T21:59:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2022-04-011010.3389/fevo.2022.863669863669Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle SpeciesBeatrice Nervo0Alex Laini1Angela Roggero2Fabrizio Fabbriciani3Claudia Palestrini4Antonio Rolando5Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyIndependent Researcher, Pistoia, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDung beetle functional ecology has traditionally focused on studying the relation between traits and ecosystem functions in multispecies assemblages, often ignoring the contribution of behavioral interactions and trait variability within species. Here we focus on the factors that affect dung removal at an intraspecific level in two horned dung beetle species with dimorphic males (Onthophagus taurus and Onthophagus verticicornis). By setting treatments for each species with single individuals (one female, F; one major male, M; one minor male, m) or with pairs of individuals (MF, mF, MM, mm, FF), we examined the effect on dung removal of morphological traits (head, pronotum, leg, horn), sex, and interactions between individuals. Our results showed that dung removal at an intraspecific level depended more on sex and behavioral interactions than on the underlying morphological traits, whose effects on dung removal were negligible. Single females generally removed more dung than single males, which suggests that females are more effective than males. In both species, pairs with at least one female (MF, mF, FF) showed high dung removal efficiency, but did not perform differently from the sum of single treatments (M + F, m + f, F + F). This suggests an additive effect: males and females (or two females) join their efforts when they are together. The pairs with only males (MM and mm) removed less dung than the sum of the single individuals (M + M and m + m), which indicates a mutual inhibition of males. In both species, male morphs performed similarly as they removed the same amount of dung. Despite our results are limited to two Onthophagus species, we suggest that the intraspecific functional ecology of dung beetles might be more influenced by behavioral interactions and sex rather than by morphological traits.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.863669/fullOnthophagusmale morphssocial contexttunnelerscooperationinhibition |
| spellingShingle | Beatrice Nervo Alex Laini Angela Roggero Fabrizio Fabbriciani Claudia Palestrini Antonio Rolando Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Onthophagus male morphs social context tunnelers cooperation inhibition |
| title | Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species |
| title_full | Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species |
| title_fullStr | Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species |
| title_short | Interactions Between Individuals and Sex Rather Than Morphological Traits Drive Intraspecific Dung Removal in Two Dung Beetle Species |
| title_sort | interactions between individuals and sex rather than morphological traits drive intraspecific dung removal in two dung beetle species |
| topic | Onthophagus male morphs social context tunnelers cooperation inhibition |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.863669/full |
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