Sampling of Fall-Active Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) in Lick Creek Park, College Station, Texas

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) are an important component in ecosystems. The author randomly sampled fall-active dung beetles in Lick Creek Park located in College Station, Texas for approximately three hours in the afternoon of 8 November 2014 in order to assess the number of species and how many of each species were present. The apparent feeding preferences of each species are also discussed. Beetles not belonging to the subfamilies Aphodiinae or Scarabaeinae were excluded. Genera included Onthophagus (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Canthon (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Aphodius (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) and Pseudagolius (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). All species determinations were made by the author. The species present included Onthophagus hecate (Panzer), O. medorensis Brown, O. tuberculifrons Harold, O. gazella (Fabricius), Pseudagolius bicolor (Say), Aphodius fimetarius (Linnaeus), and Canthon viridis (Palisot de Beauvois).