The volatile organic compounds of introduced and native dung and carrion and their role in dung beetle foraging behaviour

摘要: 1. The decomposition of biological material produces a plethora volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are implicated in the foraging behaviour coprophagous and necrophagous insects. Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) have an acute olfactory system used to locate food resources. Accordingly, identification resource VOCs potentially location is integral understanding dung beetle ecology. 2. In this study, emissions from carrion native introduced animals New Zealand were analysed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Volatile profiles compared via principal component analyses (PCAs) cluster solutions based on attractiveness canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). 3. A total 115 detected 21 types. Statistical showed that clustered according Saphobius edwardsi, different types formed distinct clusters grouped separately carrion. 4. This study suggests emitted by resources complex, producing odours, mediate decisions.