Olfactory ecology
Date
2011
Authors
Tribe, G. D.
Burger, B. V.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: As the morning sky over Zululand begins to lighten, and before the intense heat of
the sun's rays breaks through the morning mist, the air is filled with the sound of
flying dung beetles as they begin to search for dung voided during the night. As the
day progresses, waves of dung beetles arrive at the rhino middens, which eventually
teem with hundreds of beetles of many species. Out of this melee, several dung beetles are seen rolling away balls of dung to which a female clings. But how do the beetles find ephemeral and patchy dung resources - and, when
they arrive at the dung, how do they find conspecific mates?
Description
Only available in print format
Keywords
Olfaction, Dung beetles -- Chemical senses, Dung beetles -- Physiology
Citation
Tribe, G. D., Burger, B. V. Olfactory ecology. In Simmons, L. W, & Ridsdill-Smith, T. J. (eds.), Ecology and Evolution of Dung Beetles (pp. 87-106). Wiley-Blackwell.