Dissertation Research: Sexual Selection and the Evolution ofHorns in the Dung Beetle Phanaeus Difformis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae)

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Dung beetles are ecologically important in recycling nutrients present in various types of animal feces. Dung not only makes up the bulk of the diet of the adults but is also the resource adults use to provision their young in underground burrows. Dung removal decreases resources available to pest species such as dung-breeding flies, thus lowering population densities of these species. Burial of dung also increases growth of grasses and other forage for livestock and wild animals. In this project, the PI's will study the reproductive biology of a native North American dung beetle, Phanaeus difformis, which utilizes feces of cattle and other large mammals. This research will contribute to our understanding of the role that dung beetles play in rangeland ecology. The goals of this research include documenting how morphological and behavioral variables influence the reproductive biology of P. difformis under a range of ecological conditions. Investgations will involve observations of naturally breeding adults and controlled field experiments. Field experiments will consider how adult population density and sex ratio influence the reproductive potential of different individuals in the population.