NIDIFICATION OF THE DUNG BEETLE Onthophagus curvicornis LATREILLE, 1811 (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) IN LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Abstract

The dung beetle Onthophagus curvicornis is widely distributed in the Andean region and is the most abundant dung beetle in protected areas and urban and semi-urban environments in the metropolitan area of Medellin. With the aim of studying their nesting and life cycle; individuals were collected on the campus of the National University of Colombia in the Medellin city and were confined in glass rearing chambers, which were filled with soil and beetles were given cow dung in the top, in each chamber was deposited a couple of the beetle. The nesting pattern of O. curvicornis is similar to that reported for other species of the genus. Beetles built vertical or inclined tunnels under the food source, On average with 1.9 brood mass per tunel, nest building involves both, the female and male, and they reach depths of 16.06 6.27 cm and life cycle since egg to adult lasts 55.5 1.12 days

Keywords

• Biología de suelos
• ciclo de vida
• región andina
• cría
• cautiverio