Abstract
Knowing the spatial variability of a region helps us develop specific conservation strategies to mitigate human-induced disturbances. In this context, beetles are excellent bioindicators of spatial changes resulting from human disturbance. This work aims to determine the spatial heterogeneity of the diversity of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea in dry forests of the Colombian Caribbean region. Individuals were captured using baited flight interception traps, pitfall traps, fruit-baited traps, manual collection, and light traps. Forty-seven species, 23 genera, and four families were recorded; the dominant species were Sylvicanthon aequinoctialis (Harold, 1868), Eurysternus caribaeus (Herbst, 1789), and Ateuchus sp. 1. Sampling completeness was above 99%. The range-abundance curves show that the structure is similar between the three sampling sites, presenting very steep slopes, indicating low equity. The dominant trophic guilds were coprophages, constituting 53% of all species, followed by necrophages and sapro-xylophages, with 17% and 15%, respectively. Regarding alpha diversity, the sites showed a pattern of high richness, while beta diversity showed a dissimilarity of 38%. For biomass, no significant differences were detected. The variation in diversity in the study sites may be related to low spatial heterogeneity. Some families are subject to spatio-temporal variability, reproduction cycles, and trap effectiveness. Although this region is under different anthropogenic pressures, such as deforestation, livestock, tourism, and monocultures, the beta diversity of the superfamily Scarabaeoidea was homogeneous in terms of the pattern in the sites studied here. Finally, the composition, diversity, and biomass of the subfamily Scarabaeoidea are potential indicators of spatial heterogeneity in disturbed landscapes.