Necrocolous beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae, Silphidae and Trogidae) from Bosque Los Colomos, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

A survey of the necrocolous beetle assemblage was done in the Bosque Los Colomos, a Protected Natural Area from Guadalajara County, Jalisco, Mexico. The study area contains elements of pine, casuarina and eucalyptus. This area is dedicated to public activities, mainly devoted to sports. Based in the anthropic activity as a qualitative criterion of environmental perturbation, carrion beetle assemblage was evaluated. Fieldwork was done from July 2011 to July 2012 using carrion traps baited with squid. A total of 362 specimens belonging to 8 species of the families Trogidae, Silphidae and Scarabaeidae (Scarabaeinae) were collected. Trox spinulosus dentibius Robinson, 1940, and Oxelytrum discicolle (Brullé, 1840) were the most abundant species. Lower abundance and specific richness in this area is explained as an effect of the landscape changes due to an increase of anthropic activities. Seasonal abundance is closely related to temperature and precipitation values: highest abundance was from June to November in eucalyptus sites. Trox spinulosus dentibius was the dominant species. We do not have detailed information to explain this high abundance, although it could be due to the change in the assemblage structure in these environments. © 2015 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia.