Pony feeding management: the role of morphology and hay feeding methods on intake rate, ingestive behaviors and mouth shaping.

In the last decade, haynets and slow feeders have been promoted as sustainable tools to improve the feeding management of horses and reduce forage waste, but little is known about their effects on ponies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of different hay feeding methods on the ingestive behaviors, intake rate and mouth shaping of ponies belonging to two breed types, which are characterized by different head morphologies. Shetland type (SH,  = 5) and Welsh/Cob type (WC,  = 4) ponies were fed hay using four feeding methods: on the ground (G), a fully filled haynet (HF), a partially filled haynet (HL), and a slow-feeder hay box (HB).

Color polymorphism and mating trends in a population of the alpine leaf beetle Oreina gloriosa.

The bright colors of Alpine leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) are thought to act as aposematic signals against predation. Within the European Alps, at least six species display a basal color of either blue or green, likely configuring a classic case of müllerian mimicry. In this context, intra-population color polymorphism is paradoxical as the existence of numerous color morphs might hamper the establishment of a search image in visual predators.

Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification.

Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world.

Spatio-temporal modelling suggests that some dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) may respond to global warming by boosting dung removal.

In the current framework of changes to the global climate, information on the thermal tolerance of dung beetles is crucial to understand how they might cope with increases in land temperature in terms of survival and ecosystem service provision. In this spatio-temporal modelling study, we investigated the thermal tolerance and effect of temperature changes on dung removal by three dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) living within the 600-1400 m altitudinal belt in the Italian Alps. We chose large tunneler beetles because of their pivotal role in dung removal and nutrient recycling, important ecosystem services for maintaining the viability and profitability of the Alpine pastoral system.

Effect of pony morphology and hay feeding methods on back and neck postures.

The application of hay feeding devices, such as the use of hay nets or slow feeders, can help with the management of weight in ponies; however, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding their effect on equine posture. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of different feeding devices on the posture of ponies using morphometric analysis. Two different breed types, Shetland type (SH, n = 5) versus Welsh Cob type (WC, n = 4), were fed the same forage in four different ways: on the ground (G), using a fully filled haynet (HF), using a partially filled haynet (HL) and using a slow-feeder hay box (HB).

Behavioural Repeatability and Behavioural Syndrome in the Dung Beetle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae).

Although personality studies have primarily focused on vertebrates, the evidence showing invertebrates to be capable of displaying personalities has been steadily growing in recent years. In this study, we investigated the behavioural repeatability (repetition of a behaviour over time) and behavioural syndromes (a set of correlated behaviours) in , which is a dung beetle species showing complex sub-social behaviour. We analysed three behaviours (activity, thanatosis and distress call emission) by measuring seven distinct behavioural traits (i.

Continuous phenotypic modulation explains male horn allometry in three dung beetle species.

Many dung beetle species show male horn polyphenism, the ability of males to develop into distinct phenotypes without intermediate forms as a response to the larval growth environment. While males with long (majors) and rudimentary (minor) horn have been widely reported in literature, little is known about the existence of individuals with intermediate horn length. Here we investigate the occurrence of intermediates in natural populations of three dung beetle species (Onthophagus furcatus, Copris lunaris and C.

Integrating thermal tolerance, water balance and morphology: An experimental study on dung beetles.

The impacts of extreme and rising mean temperatures due to climate change can pose significant physiological challenges for insects. An integrated approach that focuses on mechanisms of body temperature regulation, water balance and morphology may help to unravel the functional traits underpinning thermoregulation strategies and the most relevant trade-offs between temperature and water balance regulation. Here, we focused on four species of tunneler dung beetles as important providers of ecosystem services.

Physiological, morphological and ecological traits drive desiccation resistance in north temperate dung beetles.

Background: Increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns threaten the existence of many organisms. It is therefore informative to identify the functional traits that underlie differences in desiccation resistance to understand the response of different species to changes in water availability resulting from climate change. We used adult dung beetles as model species due to their importance to ecosystem services.

Studying the Shape Variations of the Back, the Neck, and the Mandibular Angle of Horses Depending on Specific Feeding Postures Using Geometric Morphometrics.

The effects of specific feeding positions upon the horse's shape variations of the back and neck postures as well as the variations of the mandibular angle have never been objectively studied. For this reason, geometric morphometrics was applied. Six horses, aged 14 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation, SD), were video-recorded while using three different feeding positions: on the ground-control position (CP); neck held 15 ± 3° below withers height with low hay net position (LP); neck held 15 ± 3° above withers height with high hay net position (HP).

Male Horn Lack of Allometry May be Tied to Food Relocation Behaviour in Lifting Dung Beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Eucraniini).

The small dung beetle tribe Eucraniini includes extremely specialized species that have been defined as "lifters" according to their food relocation behaviour. They are characterized by the presence of well-developed expansions on the head and pronotum, which can be included in the large and varied group of horns, whose presence is usually related to complex reproductive tactics. In this study, two closely related species, and , were examined employing traditional and geometric morphometrics to test whether the Eucraniini has polymorphic males that might exhibit different reproductive tactics, as in the sister tribe Phanaeini, for which a male trimorphism was demonstrated.

The Phylogenetic Relationships of n.gen. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Onthophagini) Evaluated by Phenotypic Characters.

A necro-coprophagous new genus tha is widespread in the whole Sub-Saharan Africa was identified within the tribe Onthophagini and named n.gen. The new genus, which is well characterized by an exclusive set of characters, comprises, at present, 26 species.

Evidence for Male Horn Dimorphism and Related Pronotal Shape Variation in (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Coprini).

Male horn dimorphism is a rather common phenomenon in dung beetles, where some adult individuals have well-developed head horns (i.e., major males), while others exhibit diminished horn length (i.

Rapid shape divergences between natural and introduced populations of a horned beetle partly mirror divergences between species.

Onthophagus taurus is a polyphenic beetle in which males express alternative major (horned) and minor (hornless) morphologies largely dependent on larval nutrition. O. taurus was originally limited to a Turanic-European-Mediterranean distribution, but became introduced to several exotic regions in the late 1960s.