Insects regulate their body temperature mostly behaviourally, by changing posture or microhabitat. Usually they use heat that is already present in the environment. Sometimes, however, they may manipulate the environment to affect, focus or benefit from thermogenesis. Carrion beetles create a feeding matrix by applying to cadaver surface anal or oral exudates. We tested the hypothesis that the matrix, which is formed on carrion by communally breeding beetle Necrodes littoralis L. (Silphidae), produces heat that enhances insect fitness. Using thermal imaging we demonstrate that heat produced in the matrix formed on meat by adult or larval beetles is larger than in meat decomposing without insects. Larval beetles regularly warmed up in the matrix. Moreover, by comparing matrix temperature and larval fitness in colonies with and without preparation of meat by adult beetles, we provide evidence that formation of the matrix by adult beetles has deferred thermal effects for larval microhabitat. We found an increase in heat production of the matrix and a decrease in development time and mortality of larvae after adult beetles applied their exudates on meat in the pre-larval phase. Our findings indicate that spreading of exudates over carrion by Necrodes larvae, apart from other likely functions (e.g. digesting carrion or promoting growth of beneficial microbes), facilitates thermoregulation. In case of adult beetles, this behaviour brings distinct thermal benefits for their offspring and therefore may be viewed as a new form of indirect parental care with an important thermal component.

中文翻译：

---

通过共同繁殖甲虫在腐肉上形成的饲养基质中产生热量

昆虫通常通过改变姿势或微栖息地来调节其体温。通常，他们使用环境中已经存在的热量。但是，有时它们可​​能会操纵环境来影响，聚焦或受益于生热作用。腐肉甲虫通过将尸体涂在尸体表面的肛门或口腔渗出液上来形成饲养基质。我们测试了以下假设：通过在公共场所繁殖甲虫Necrodes littoralis L.（Silphidae）在腐肉上形成的基质产生的热量可以提高昆虫的适应性。通过热成像，我们证明了成年或幼虫在肉上形成的基质中产生的热量要比没有昆虫的肉分解时要大。幼虫会定期在基质中升温。此外，通过比较在有和没有成年甲虫准备肉的殖民地中基质温度和幼虫适应性，我们提供了证据，表明由成年甲虫形成基质对幼虫微生境的热效应有所延迟。我们发现，成年甲虫在幼虫前期将渗出物应用于肉后，基质的产热增加，幼虫的发育时间和死亡率降低。我们的发现表明，除其他可能的功能（例如，消化腐肉或促进有益微生物的生长）外，死灵幼虫在腐肉上散布的渗出液有助于温度调节。对于成年甲虫，这种行为为其后代带来了明显的热学益处，因此，可以将其视为具有重要热学成分的间接父母照料的新形式。