Sex ratio modulates reproductive output and dung burying behavior in dung beetle <em>Gymnopleurus sturmi</em> (Macleay, 1821) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Dung beetles are important ecosystem engineers as they play an important role in recycling dejections from animals. Dung beetles have evolved different behaviours, including dung ball rolling for their egg and developing offspring. Ball rolling is a complex behaviour that varies between species. &nbsp;In some species, males roll the dung ball and females choose partners based on this, while in other species, males and females work together to form the ball. Competition can be fierce, and fighting and ball stealing are common. Gymnopleurus sturmi is a ball rolling species that exhibit gregarious behaviours.&nbsp; In this study, assess sex-related roles in ball rolling as well and the impact of varying sex ratios on the number of balls produced either left at the surface, or buried and fertilized (pear-shaped), and emergence rates of the offspring. Results show that both males and females are capable of producing dung balls, and higher numbers were obtained when males and females were sep..., , , # Sex ratio article - Gymnopleurus sturmi Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.8931zcs2k](10.5061/dryad.8931zcs2k) ## Description of the data and file structure Data were collected from artificial laboratory rearing of dung beetles. ### File: Script_AZamprogna_sex_ratio_article.html **Description:** This html file shows the script the author has run using the provided dataset in order to obtain the results described in the article. In HTML format.  ### File: Pair_experiment_F0_F1_Emergence_rate.xlsx **Description:** All data from laboratory rearing. Each sheet represent a test that has been performed in the manuscript ** This dataset contains experimental data on dung beetle reproductive performance and emergence success under different treatments. The dataset is structured across four sheets:** 1. **F0 (Parental Generation)** – Contains data on initial reproductive output, including the number of dung balls on the surface, pears (subterranean brood masses), and their ratio. 2. **F1 (O...,