SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), with over 6,200 species described (Tarasov and Génier 2015), are widely studied beetles often used as ecological indicators in diversity studies (Halffter and Favila 1993). They also play important ecological roles in nutrient cycling, soil aeration, secondary seed dispersal, and control of parasites (Nichols et al. 2008). However, some aspects of the basic biology of these species are poorly investigated, such as life span, dispersal capacity, and other population parameters (Cultid-Medina et al. 2015; Hanski and Cambefort 1991; Villada-Bedoya and Cultid-Medina 2017). One way to access some of this information is through mark, release, and recapture studies (MRR) via permanent marks with the least possible effect on individuals’ behavior and survival (Martı́nez-Quintero et al. 2013). An MRR study with dung beetles was carried out by Peck and Forsyth (1982), which aimed to estimate population size for some species by marking them with enamel paint spots on the pronotum and elytra, with a five color-code. Following just one recapture event, with a recapture rate of 0.02%, they described distances covered by some species. Favila (1988) presented an individual marking method for laboratory and field studies, using paint and glue on the dorsum to protect the marking from soil friction, highlighting the pronotum as the best part of the beetle’s body to mark. Using mark-release methods in fieldwork, Escobar and Chacón de Ulloa (2000) described the use of different habitats for some species, marking individuals of species greater than 10 mm by using different colors of paint. Their results provided information about movement patterns and distances covered by Sulcophanaeus velutinus (Murray, 1856) and Dichotomius cf. quinquedens (Felsche, 1910). Roslin (2000) provided results about distances covered for species of Aphodiinae by using a mark that consisted of two small holes in different positions in the elytra, using the tip of the thinnest available insect pin, which could only be seen under a microscope. Larsen and Forsyth (2005) performed amark-release study with Canthon acutus Harold, 1868, a small diurnal ballrolling beetle (body width = 4.1 mm), by using a silver pen. Each group was identified with a unique combination of dots on the elytra and pronotum and released once, performing recaptures every 24 hours for four days, which allowed them to propose a spatial design to avoid pseudoreplicates in ecological studies of biodiversity. To understand the effects of landscape structure on patterns of abundance and movement and the differences between male and female movement, Arellano et al. (2008) painted individuals of Canthon cyanellus cyanellus LeConte, 1859, Phanaeus pyrois Bates, 1887, and Dichotomius amplicollis (Harold, 1869) by using silver pens to make a unique combination of dots on the elytra and/or pronotum. Based on Favila (2008), eachmark was covered with a fine layer of glue with cyanocrilate. Noriega andAcosta (2011) did amarkrelease experiment for over a month with Sulcophanaeus leander (Waterhouse, 1891) by marking the ventral surface of the metasternum of this large bodied species with a fast-drying latex paint. The same mark was used for all individuals. They observed high fidelity to the habitat and dispersal between different environments and answered questions such as daily activity and sex ratio. Recently, Martı́nez-Quintero et al. (2013) proposed a novel method for marking dung beetles, which consisted of a permanent and individual scarificationmark. They used aMototol Stylus 1100 Dremel to scrape the dorsal surfaces of the elytra and pronotum, in companionwith an emerald 84922 Dremel stone that allowed a clean brand on the beetle’s body. This mark was applied on individuals from 10 to 35 mm long because it was difficult to perform on individuals smaller than 10 mm, although they reported that they have been able to mark individuals as small as 6 mm as well. They reported no ecological, biomechanical, or reproductive implications on individuals, but, like previous studies, they did not test for such.