Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) play a crucial role in dung removal and nutrient cycling. We assessed the distributional patterns of diversity of the tribe Onitini across 12 subdivisions in Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Surveys were conducted twice a month with an inter-visit interval of ∼2 weeks by placing three pitfall traps along each 1000 m transect, each spaced ∼330 m apart. Data were collected from nine traps placed along three transects at each location within the subdivisions. Gujrat district demonstrated the highest species richness, recording all 11 species, followed by Sialkot and Gujranwala. Onitis castaneus was the dominant species in all districts in winter. Onitis excavatus was most abundant in spring and summer seasons, both in the Gujranwala and Sialkot districts. In summer, O. subopacus was dominant in Sialkot. PERMANOVA indicated no significant differences in species composition among districts (p = 0.278, R2 = 0.084), while NMDS revealed strong overlap among divisions. SIMPER analysis showed variations in the relative abundance among districts, resulting in high Bray–Curtis dissimilarities. The spatial dissimilarity observed was mainly contributed by O. castaneus, O. excavatus, and O. subopacus. Onitis singhalensis and O. crassus were recorded exclusively from Gujrat, indicating local habitat association. Dung beetle assemblages were also significantly influenced by seasons (R2 = 0.165). The land use types also influenced abundance patterns, specifically in districts. This study provides the first region-wide ecological comparison of Onitini assemblages in Punjab and establishes a baseline for future assessments of dung beetle diversity and ecosystem functioning under agricultural intensification.
Nazir et al. (Wed,) studied this question.