Dung beetles provide important ecosystem functions in semiarid environments, improving the physiochemical characteristics of the soil through tunnelling and burying nutrient-rich dung. In sub-Saharan Africa, diverse indigenous mammal communities support highly abundant dung beetle populations in savannah ecosystems. However, the conversion of landscapes to livestock agriculture may result in changes in the abundance and diversity of wild mammal species. This is likely to have significant impacts on dung beetle communities, particularly because domestic livestock dung may be contaminated with toxic residues of veterinary parasiticides. The environmental impact is likely to be affected by the degree of niche overlap between the beetle communities that colonize cattle dung and those that colonize the dung of wild mammals. We compared dung beetle communities between a pristine national park habitat dominated by large wild herbivores, and a pastoral farming community dominated by domestic livestock. Diurnal dung beetles were attracted to cattle dung in greater abundance and diversity compared to elephant, zebra or giraffe dung. Nocturnal/crepuscular dung beetles were attracted to non-ruminant dung (elephant and zebra) in higher abundance compared to ruminant dung (cattle and giraffe). Although there were no clear trophic specializations, three diurnal species showed an association with cattle dung, whereas eight nocturnal/crepuscular species showed an association with non-ruminant (elephant and zebra) dung. Diurnal species may be at greater risk from the toxic effects of residues of veterinary parasiticides in domestic livestock dung. Although many species showed trophic associations with wild herbivore dung, these beetles can utilize a wide range of dung and will readily colonize cattle dung in the absence of other options. As more land is converted to livestock agriculture, the contamination of dung with toxic residues from veterinary parasiticides could therefore negatively impact the majority of dung beetle species.

蜣螂在半干旱环境中提供重要的生态系统功能，通过挖隧道和掩埋富含营养的粪便来改善土壤的理化特性。在撒哈拉以南非洲，多样化的土著哺乳动物群落支持稀树草原生态系统中高度丰富的粪甲虫种群。然而，将景观转变为畜牧业可能会导致野生哺乳动物物种的丰度和多样性发生变化。这可能对蜣螂群落产生重大影响，特别是因为家畜粪便可能被兽用杀寄生虫剂的有毒残留物污染。环境影响可能会受到以牛粪为生的甲虫群落与以野生哺乳动物粪便为生的甲虫群落之间生态位重叠程度的影响。我们比较了以大型野生食草动物为主的原始国家公园栖息地和以家畜为主的牧区农业社区之间的粪甲虫群落。与大象、斑马或长颈鹿的粪便相比，昼夜粪甲虫更容易被牛粪吸引。与反刍动物粪便（牛和长颈鹿）相比，夜间/黄昏蜣螂更容易被非反刍动物粪便（大象和斑马）吸引。虽然没有明确的营养专业，但三种昼夜物种与牛粪有关，而八种夜间/黄昏物种与非反刍动物（大象和斑马）粪便有关。昼夜物种可能更容易受到家畜粪便中兽用杀虫剂残留物的毒性影响。尽管许多物种显示出与野生食草动物粪便的营养关联，但这些甲虫可以利用广泛的粪便，并且在没有其他选择的情况下很容易在牛粪中定居。随着越来越多的土地转为畜牧业，兽用杀虫剂的有毒残留物污染粪便可能会对大多数粪甲虫物种产生负面影响。