Resource guarding by Ptomascopus morio: Simple parental care in the Nicrophorinae (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Abstract

Nicrophorine beetles use small vertebrate carrion for breeding resource. While Nicrophortis spp. have highly developed biparental care, no form of parental care is recorded for Ptomascopus spp. We examined two effects of resource guarding by Ptomascopus morio. The presence of parents, especially the female, reduced the number of fly larvae on chicken carrion. Parents also enhanced the survival of brood faced with predation by the rove beetle, Ontholestes gracilis. In 6 out of 20 trials, the rove beetle predators were killed by Ptomascopus morio parents. We conclude that Ptomascopus morio has a simple, and possibly primitive form of parental care.