Response of a dung beetle guild to different sizes of dung bait in a Panamanian rainforest

Pitfall traps, baited with feces, were used to sample the Scarabaeinae dung beetle fauna in lower montane rainforest in western Panama. Baits of two sizes, 2 ml and 200 ml, were used. These baits captured 22 species each, but there were clear differences in species, numbers and sizes of species, and species dominance and equitability. The evidence shows that dung size is another niche dimension along which species can specialize and reduce competitive interactions.