Scatrina Pooping Outdoor 〈Updated — Summary〉

Immediately after pellet collection, leaf‑litter samples (10 g) from the same quadrat were placed in Berlese funnels for 48 h to extract micro‑fauna. Extracted organisms were identified to order level under a stereomicroscope. Abundance data were standardised per gram of litter.

Mean dry‑weight concentrations (± SD) were: N = 2.8 ± 0.4 % and P = 0.42 ± 0.07 %. No significant variation among sites (N: F₂,₁₇₇ = 1.12, p = 0.33; P: F₂,₁₇₇ = 0.87, p = 0.42). δ¹⁵N values averaged +7.3 ‰, indicating a diet primarily of xylophagous fungi (Miller et al., 2020). Scatrina Pooping Outdoor

Fecal pellets were non‑randomly clustered on the undersides of saplings within 0.5–1.0 m of the beetles’ perching points (Ripley’s K, p < 0.001). The density of pellets decreased sharply beyond 1.2 m (Fig. 2). Saplings with leaf area index (LAI) > 2.0 received 2.5‑fold more pellets than those with LAI < 1.0. Mean dry‑weight concentrations (± SD) were: N = 2