Diversity of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State, North East Nigeria

This study documents the diversity and dung preference of dung beetles (Subfamily Scarabaeinae) in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State, located in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. Dung beetles are critical for nutrient recycling, secondary seed dispersal, and soil aeration, and their diversity is used as a proxy for broader mammalian herbivore community health. Dung beetles were sampled using baited pitfall traps set with elephant, buffalo, and cattle dung at 12 sites within the reserve over eight weeks. Specimens were identified to species level. A total of 28 Scarabaeinae species from 11 genera were recorded. Catharsius, Copris, and Sisyphus were the most species-rich genera. Species richness was highest at sites with intact woodland vegetation near wildlife trails. Elephant dung attracted the greatest number of species (18 species) compared to buffalo (14) and cattle dung (11), reflecting the larger fermentation substrate surface area. Several species showed strict monophagy for wild animal dung and were absent from cattle dung baits, suggesting their potential utility as indicators of wild herbivore presence. Dung beetle diversity was significantly lower at sites near the park boundary where bush burning and cattle grazing were common. The study recommends dung beetle monitoring as a cost-effective complement to mammal surveys for assessing Yankari's wildlife community health. Keywords: dung beetles, Scarabaeinae, Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State, biodiversity indicators.