FAUNISTIC COMPARISON OF ADULT COLEOPTERA RECOVERED FROM CATTLE AND SHEEP MANURE IN EAST-CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA 1 o -3 Howard Kessler , Edward U. Balsbaugh. Jr. . and Burruss McDaniel Manure has long been recognized as an inviting habitat for many arthropod species. The bulk of investigations have involved the fauna and ecology of those species which prefer bovine manure (Kessler and Balsbaugh 1972). however, there have been some scattered investigations of the insect fauna associated with sheep manure (Pratt 1912. Brown 1927". Wilson 1932, Seamans 1934, Mohr 1943. Landin 1961. and Rainio 1966) and human feces (Miller 1954). While the arthropod fauna of each type of dung has been established, limited information has been reported on the comparisons of adult Coleoptera recovered from sheep and cattle manure from similar environmental conditions. This paper is concerned with just such a faunistic comparison conducted during 1969 in east-central South Dakota. METHODS AND MATERIALS Tile test site was located in Blockings County, South Dakota. Adult Coleoptcra were collected from bovine manure as described by Kcsslcr and Balsbaugh (1972). I resh sheep manure (24-96 hr old) was collected from a pasture every 7th day from June 18 -September Id. 1 ach collection period, 2.85 cc of sheep manure \\as placed into a Berlese funnel for 24 hr. The insects thus extracted were collected and stored in 70'' ethyl alcohol for identification. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Twenty-four species of adult Coleoptera were recovered from sheep dung, while 38 species were collected from bovine dung (Table 1 ). The weekly recovery of each species from sheep and cattle dung during the test period is sho\\ n in I able 2. \<> attempt is made to discuss seasonal occurrence from only 1 year's data. 'Approved by the director of the South Dakota .Agricultural 1 -\periment Station as Journal Series No. 1 158. Accepted for publication: June 25. 1973 2 Present address: U. S. I n\ ironmcntal Protection Agency Pesticide Branch 1421 Peach tree Street. NF. Atlanta, (icorgia 3()3() l i 3 Associate Professor and Professor respectively, Entomology-Zoology Department. South Dakota State University. Brookings. South Dakota 57()(Hi. /in. News, \'<>l. 85, \hin-h 1974 67
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