ESCARABAJOS SCARABAEINAE SAPRÓFAGOS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE) EN UN BOSQUE MUY HÚMEDO PREMONTANO DE LOS ANDES OCCIDENTALES COLOMBIANOS.

The cloud forests of Tambito (west flank of the Cordillera Occidental, Cauca) harbors an interesting assemblage of saprophagous beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) recognized preliminarily in this research with the purpose of presenting their structure (composition and abundance), feeding habits and favorite habitats. During the months of January and September of 2001 we carried out four samplings integrated by transects and traps in mature secondary forest, early secondary forest and pasture. We captured a total of 2578 individuals belonging to the Onthophagus, Dichotomius, Ontherus, Uroxys, Canthidium, Oxysternon, Sulcophanaeus, Scybalocanthon, Coprophanaeus, Deltochilum and Canthon genera; 2271 individuals correspond to 16 species attracted to the coprotraps and 307 to 11 species attracted to the necrotraps. In both cases, higher species richness was observed in the mature secondary forest, the richness of the guild declines by 23% from conserved to intervened environments and 31% from coprophagy to necrophagy. Total abundance declined with respect to the degree of habitat regeneration for both treatments (coprophagous 69%, necrophagous 91%). The pasture exhibited a smaller accountable collection of beetles, explained by the absence of bovines that otherwise would cause a noticeable abundance of coprophagous species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]