Diversity, biogeographical considerations and spatial structure of a recently invaded dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) community in the Chihuahuan Desert

Analysis of the faunal composition and diversity of Mapimi dung beetle communities indicates that, while much poorer than those near the edges of the Chihuahuan desert, they may possibly have been even more so in the recent past, since at least four of the six captured species were introduced recently into North America. While their overall diversity and composition appear explicable in terms of historic and topographic factors, the regional variation in these communities between sample sites is argued to be a function of the interplay of the environmental requirements of the species and the quantity and quality of trophic resources available.