A contribution to the study of the Lower Volga center of scarab beetle diversity in Russia: checklist of the tribe Aphodiini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) of Dosang environs
Citation
Frolov A (2014). A contribution to the study of the Lower Volga center of scarab beetle diversity in Russia: checklist of the tribe Aphodiini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) of Dosang environs. Biodiversity Data Journal. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/cp5qx3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-07-14.Description
The field sampling of the Aphodiini scarab beetles in Dosang environs (Astrakhan Province, European Russia) in 2006–2012 resulted in the collection of 44 species. All but one of them belong to Aphodius Hellwig (sensu lato). This is apparently the richest recorded local Aphodiini fauna in Russia. The high Aphodiini diversity in the area can be explained by the long vegetative season with high effective heat sum, large livestock providing abundant food resources throughout the year, and location in the transition belt between Volga-Akhtuba Floodplain and Desert floristic districts. The core fauna consists of mesophilous species widely distributed in the Palearctic region and confined to the intrazonal habitats. Other species have ranges mostly limited to the steppe, semidesert, and desert zones.Taxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Andrey Frolovoriginator
position: Dr
Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
Sankt-Petersburg
RU
email: frolov@scarabaeoidea.com
Andrey Frolov
metadata author
position: Dr
Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
Sankt-Petersburg
RU
email: frolov@scarabaeoidea.com
Andrey Frolov
administrative point of contact
position: Dr
Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
Sankt-Petersburg
RU
email: frolov@scarabaeoidea.com