Time and space sharing among dung beetle guilds in the Moyen-Atlas region (Morocco)

A one year study of dung beetle communities in six sites was carried out in Morocco along a bioclimatic gradient, from Karia-Ba-Mahomed (semi-arid) to Missour (arid), through the Moyen-Atlas Mts. (Ifrane; sub-humid). 58 speci es were collected using a standardized protocole (dung baited traps). Speci es diversity was approximately the same in all sites (from 37 to 41 species ), except in Missour (24 species). The highest diversity was observed in sp ring. The lowest diversity depended on the sites: in summer in Fes-sais, If rane and Boulemane; in autumn in Elhajeb and Missour; in winter in Karia. R ollers were predominant in the NW part of the transect; conversely tunnelle rs were more abundant in arid sites (SE) and residents in mountain sites (s ub-humid).