The scent of offspring: chemical profiles of larvae change during development and affect parental behavior in a burying beetle

DOI zum Zitieren der Version auf EPub Bayreuth: https://doi.org/10.15495/EPub_UBT_00008667
URN to cite this document: urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-8667-5

Title data

Sahm, Jacqueline ; Brobeil, Beatrice ; Grubmüller, Eric ; Schott, Matthias ; Stökl, Johannes ; Steiger, Sandra ; Conrad, Taina:
The scent of offspring: chemical profiles of larvae change during development and affect parental behavior in a burying beetle.
In: Behavioral Ecology. Vol. 35 (2024) Issue 5 . - arae061.
ISSN 1465-7279
DOI der Verlagsversion: https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arae061

	Format: PDF Name: arae061.pdf Version: Published Version Available under License Creative Commons BY 4.0: Attribution
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Project information

Project title:	Project's official title Project's id Wie Pheromone das Familienleben steuern: Chemische Kommunikation in Totengräberfamilien 226182846 Open Access Publizieren No information
Project financing:	Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Abstract

Chemical cues and signals, especially in insects, play a pivotal role in mediating interactions between individuals. Past studies have largely focused on adult semiochemicals and have neglected those of juvenile stages. Especially in the context of parental care, the larval odor might have a profound impact on parenting behavior, guiding parents in how much resources they should allocate to the different developmental stages. However, whether ontogenetic changes occur in subsocial species and whether larval-emitted scents influence parent-offspring interactions is largely unknown. Using 3 different sampling techniques, we analyzed the cuticular and VOC profile of the 3 larval instars of the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, which is known for its elaborate parental care. We found distinct differences in the cuticular and VOC profiles across the 3 larval stages. Second-instar larvae, which receive more frequent feedings from parents than the other larval stages, released greater amounts of acetophenone, methyl geranate, and octanoic acid isopropyl ester than the first and third instar. Additionally, using a newly developed bioassay with automated video tracking, we found that adding the odor of second-instar larvae to first-instar larvae increased the number of maternal feeding trips. Our results suggest that the odor produced by larvae plays an important role in mediating parent-offspring interactions. Given these findings, burying beetles might emerge as a promising candidate for identifying a potential begging pheromone.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
DDC Subjects:	500 Science > 590 Animals (Zoology)
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology > Chair Animal Ecology II - Evolutionary Animal Ecology > Chair Animal Ecology II - Evolutionary Animal Ecology - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sandra Steiger Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology > Chair Animal Ecology II - Evolutionary Animal Ecology
Language:	English
Originates at UBT:	Yes
URN:	urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-8667-5
Date Deposited:	11 Nov 2025 17:27
Last Modified:	24 Nov 2025 13:58
URI:	https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/8667

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