DIVERSITY OF DUNG BEETLES IN MEDITERRANEAN WETLANDS AND BORDERING BRUSHWOOD

The seasonal and spatial distributions of dung-feeding scarabs were st udied throughout a spatial gradient from a wetland to an adjacent brus hwood ecosystem in Pego-Oliva Natural Park, eastern Iberian Peninsula. The brushwood habitat was richer in species than the wetland habitat; nevertheless, the greatest numbers of individuals were recorded in th e wetland habitat. In the wetland the dung beetle species were more op portunistic and active in spring and summer compared with specialist d ung beetles in brushwood whose activity was concentrated in spring and fall. The results show that it would be advisable to include the surr ounding brushwood of the wetlands in the protected area to conserve th e Mediterranean communities of dung beetles.