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May 7, 2026Journal of Animal EcologyOpen Access

Plasticity in parental care: Interspecific competitor cues shape biparental cooperation in a burying beetle

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Authors

CPCasey PatmorePSPer T. Smiseth

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Overview

Observations reveal increased parental care duration in breeding pairs of burying beetles, suggesting a trade-off due to interspecific competition.

Key Points

  • To assess how interspecific competition influences biparental care plasticity in burying beetles.
  • Staged encounters between breeding pairs of Nicrophorus vespilloides and fly intruders
  • Presented dead flies at varying times and densities to simulate competition
  • Measured duration of parental care and breeding success
  • Both male and female beetles increased their duration of care in response to competitor cues
  • Increased duration of care was associated with higher breeding failure rates
  • Breeding failures occurred more frequently when encounters happened early in the breeding attempt

Cite This Study

Patmore et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69fbf004164b5133a91a4428https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70251
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Plasticity in parental care: interspecific competitor cues shape biparental cooperation in a burying beetle2026
  2. 2Males are worse mothers: Comparing care patterns in a facultatively caring beetle2026
  3. 3Why do burying beetles bury? Competition and the fitness benefits of parental care2026
  4. 4From constructing nests to nutritional provisioning : the impact of direct and indirect parental care in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis2025
  5. 5Repeatable differences in male care and sexual conflict resolution during biparental care in a subsocial insect2026