Trap spacing and transect design for dung beetle biodiversity studies

Standardized sampling methods are essential for comparing species diversity and abundance patterns across different studies and sites. Although dung beetles are widely used as a focal taxon in biodiversity studies, nothing appears to be known about the effective sampling area of dung-baited traps. Mark-recapture experiments using Conthon acutus showed that at least 50 m between traps should minimize trap interference, and that wind affects trap detectability. Consequently, we propose a standardized dung beetle sampling design.