Dung beetles specimens along aridity gradients at the border of three deserts: Chihuahua (Mexico), Kalahari (South Africa) and Sahara (Morocco), 2013-2015.

Study Extent

The study area comprises the border of three deserts: Chihuahua (Mexico), Kalahari (South Africa) and Sahara (Morocco). In each of the deserts a transect 400km long was designed to capture the variability of a severe aridity gradient from 300mm to 100mm of total annual rainfall. Thus, the driest areas had scarce vegetation (<5cm high) and very low density (<1 individual per 1m²) and the wettest areas had shruby to sparse savanna ecosystems (small trees of various species, including Acacia in the Kalahari) or low intensity agroecosystems (specially in the wet areas of the Sahara desert). There was presence of livestock along the transects of the three deserts varying from cattle in the wettest study areas to lots of sheep/goats and some donkeys in the driest study areas of the three deserts. Even some dromedary at the Sahara desert. For more details on the Saharan study area see https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5210.

Sampling

Dung beetles were sampled during four campaigns held in two consecutive years: two in the wet season (April 2013 and 2014) and two in the dry season (September 2013 and 2014). In each campaign we surveyed 10 sampling sites along the Moroccan road N17 from the Sahara towards the Mediterranean, separated by an interval of around 40 km. All sampling sites were placed at least 100m away from the road margin.

Method steps

1. We surveyed 10 sampling sites along the Moroccan road N17 from the Sahara towards the Mediterranean, separated by an interval of around 40 km. Sampling and beetle collection were carried out under research permits Reference Numbers 01/2013 HCEFLCD/DLCDPN/DPRN/CFF and 01/2014 HCEFLCD/DLCDPN/DPRN/CFF issued by the Haut Commisariat aux Eaux et Forêts et à Lutte Contre la Désertification (Morocco). All sampling sites were placed at least 100m away from the road margin.

Occurrences described in this dataset pertain to Scarabaeidae family and comprise 50 different genus of dung beetles. 5 occurrences were identified to family level, 59 to genus level and 2022 to species level. This dataset also contains 4 records of Trogidae family identified to species level.

1. Scarabaeidae
   rank: family
2. Coleoptera
   rank: order
3. Insecta
   rank: class

30 different locations were surveyed from 3 different countries. 1842 occurrences from Sahara desert Morocco, 48 from Chihuhua desert in Mexico and 200 from Kalahari desert in South Africa.