Composition of the Heterogeneous Sex Attracting Secretion of the Dung Beetle, Kheper lamarcki

The coprophagous fauna associated with the mammals of Africa plays an important role in the recycling of nutrients and in the destruction of the habitat of many dung breeding flies [1], The failure of this process has been recorded in Australia where cattle were introduced without the associated insect fauna, resulting in the deteriora­ tion of the pastures [2] and the uncontrolled increase of the fly population [3]. Dung beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae can, on the basis of their nesting behaviour, be divided into three groups [4, 5]. The paracoprids construct their nests under the dung pad by excavating tunnels in which dung is packed; the endocoprids excavate a chamber in the dung pad itself, forming brood-balls within this chamber; and the telecoprids detach a portion of dung from the pad, rolling it some distance from the dung source before burying it. The majority of species of dung beetles in southern Africa are found in the mainly crepuscular paracoprids (87%), although the diurnal telecoprids are also numerous, even if represented by fewer species (12%) [6]. The genus Kheper is confined mainly to the hot Lowveld areas of Natal and the Transvaal, extending into tropical Africa. Telecoprid behaviour is considered to have evolved from competition for dung, the dung pad also being the meeting place of the sexes. Within minutes a beetle has to effectively distinguish