Folia entomologica hungarica

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Author(s): Papp, L.
Title: Will the elephant dung flies go extinct after the elephants disappear?
Year: 2008
Volume: 69
Pages: 221-228.



Abstract: Extinction of a single large-bodied species is often presumed to provoke co-extinctionof several parasite, mutualist, nest dwelling and coprophagous species. This paper examines whether potential loss of African Elephants, the largest terrestrial animals, would necessarily cause co-extinction of the species-rich dipterous fauna currently living on elephant dung. We have taken semi-quantitative samples from dipterous adults associated with elephant and cattle dung in the Republic of South Africa. Sixty species representing four families (Hybotidae, Sepsidae, Sphaeroceridae, Muscidae) have been collected. The species composition of the fly assemblages collected on elephant versus cattle dung overlap considerably. Thus it seems safe to presume that a large proportion of the dipteran guild inhabiting elephant dung can shift to cow pats or vice versa, at least as far as the most speciose group (Sphaeroceridae) is concerned. On the contrary, some dung flies appear to be more exclusively associated with elephants. Further taxonomic investigations and more extended ecological studies are needed to understand the conservational issues potentially arising at the local extinction and local re-introduction of elephants. With one table.
Keywords: ecology, elephant dung, cattle dung, Diptera identifications, South Africa

Journal: Folia entomologica hungarica
Journal abbreviation: Folia ent. hung.
ISSN: 0373-9465
Publisher: ,
Editor(s): Merkl, O.