Dung beetles of Azorean cattle-grazed pasturelands ? data of the DUNGPOOL project

The data we present are part of the project DUNGPOOL ("Effects of species pool and community assembly processes on dung beetle diversity and ecosystem functions in a warming world"). This project aims to evaluate the effects of the species pool, community assembly processes, and increasing temperatures on the local diversity and ecosystem services performed by dung beetles in island and mainland cattle-grazed pasturelands.
To do so, during June and July 2024, we used 306 pitfall traps baited with fresh cow dung, that were placed in 87 sites distributed in Terceira, Faial and Pico islands of the Azores archipelago (Portugal). A total of 1,141 dung beetles were recorded across these islands: 643 individuals in Terceira, 480 individuals in Faial, and 18 individuals in Pico. These individuals were distributed among four species: Calamosternus granarius, Labarrus lividus, Onthophagus medius and Onthophagus taurus.