Carrion is a patchy, nutrient-rich and frequently bulky resource that hosts a complex community of competing organisms. Several insect species have specialized to use carrion for breeding, revealing a specific suite of behavioural adaptations. Larvae of carrion insects regularly aggregate while feeding, frequently forming spectacular larval masses. Here we analysed patterns and mechanisms of collective feeding by larvae of the communally breeding carrion beetle Necrodes littoralis. Using results of laboratory behavioural assays and findings from previous field experiments using pig carcasses we found that: (1) under field conditions N. littoralis larval aggregations were prevalent on large carcasses, during late decomposition stages; (2) under laboratory conditions larvae of all instars, when present on meat, formed stable aggregations; (3) larvae consistently responded to thermal characteristics of a feeding environment, aggregating in the hottest place and following changes in the heat source location, which suggests thermal cues are important for their aggregation; and (4) ground-deposited chemical cues elicited a minor response by the third-instar larvae, which indicates these cues are less important for the aggregation of larval N. littoralis. These findings highlight the prevalence of communal feeding among necrophagous insect larvae, revealing the interspecific and intraspecific diversity of patterns and mechanisms for larval aggregation on carrion.

中文翻译：

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腐肉甲虫 Necrodes littoralis（鞘翅目：Silphidae）幼虫聚集的模式和机制

腐肉是一种不完整、营养丰富且通常体积庞大的资源，它承载着复杂的竞争生物群落。一些昆虫物种专门使用腐肉进行繁殖，揭示了一套特定的行为适应。腐肉昆虫的幼虫在进食时有规律地聚集，经常形成壮观的幼虫团。在这里，我们分析了社区繁殖的腐肉甲虫 Necrodes littoralis 的幼虫集体进食的模式和机制。使用实验室行为分析的结果和之前使用猪尸体进行的田间试验的结果，我们发现： (1) 在田间条件下，大型尸体上的滨海新郎幼虫聚集在分解后期很普遍；(2) 在实验室条件下，所有龄期的幼虫出现在肉上时，形成稳定的聚集体；(3) 幼虫对摄食环境的热特性做出一致的反应，在最热的地方聚集并跟随热源位置的变化，这表明热线索对其聚集很重要；(4) 地面沉积的化学线索引起了三龄幼虫的轻微反应，这表明这些线索对于幼虫 N. littoralis 的聚集不太重要。这些发现强调了食尸性昆虫幼虫群落觅食的普遍性，揭示了幼虫在腐肉上聚集的模式和机制的种间和种内多样性。(4) 地面沉积的化学线索引起了三龄幼虫的轻微反应，这表明这些线索对于幼虫 N. littoralis 的聚集不太重要。这些发现强调了食尸性昆虫幼虫群落觅食的普遍性，揭示了幼虫在腐肉上聚集的模式和机制的种间和种内多样性。(4) 地面沉积的化学线索引起了三龄幼虫的轻微反应，这表明这些线索对于幼虫 N. littoralis 的聚集不太重要。这些发现强调了食尸性昆虫幼虫群落觅食的普遍性，揭示了幼虫在腐肉上聚集的模式和机制的种间和种内多样性。