Carrion is a highly ephemeral and nutrient rich resource, characterized by extreme biotic and abiotic stressors. We hypothesized that specific constraints of the carrion ecosystem, and especially its nutrient richness, ephemerality, and competition with microbes, have promoted the evolution of social behaviors in necrophagous insects. We show that group living is prevalent among early succession carrion breeding insects, suggesting that this trait has emerged as an adaptation to facilitate survival in the highly competitive environment of fresh carrion. We then highlight how developmental niche construction allows larvae to compete with microbes, efficiently feed on fresh cadavers, and rapidly reach maturity. We observed that larval societies and parental care are two different strategies responding to similar competitive and environmental constraints. We conclude that intra and interspecific competition on carrion are mitigated by social behavior.

中文翻译：

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腐肉繁殖昆虫的社会策略趋同

腐肉是一种高度短暂且营养丰富的资源，其特点是极端的生物和非生物压力源。我们假设腐肉生态系统的特定限制，特别是其营养丰富、短暂性和与微生物的竞争，促进了食尸昆虫社会行为的进化。我们表明，群体生活在早期连续腐肉繁殖昆虫中很普遍，这表明这种特性已经成为一种适应，以促进在新鲜腐肉的高度竞争环境中生存。然后，我们强调发育生态位构建如何使幼虫与微生物竞争，有效地以新鲜尸体为食，并迅速达到成熟。我们观察到幼虫社会和父母照料是应对类似竞争和环境限制的两种不同策略。我们得出结论，社会行为减轻了腐肉的种内和种间竞争。