Experience does not alter alternative mating tactics in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides

Alternative male mating tactics are widespread, but the cuesthat determine which tactic is adopted remain unclear. Sizeis commonly associated with alternative mating tactics, butit is not known how individuals gauge their size effectively,especially given that size is relative and frequency dependent.One possibility is that interactions with conspecifics are usedto assess size, relative to potential competitors, and thusfine-tune tactics. Success in mating might also influence matingtactics given that this should indicate the potential availabilityof mates in the population. We tested these ideas in the buryingbeetle Nicrophorus vespilloides, examining whether individualsuse the outcome of larval or adult interactions as cues to adjustthe tactics used to acquire mates. Male N. vespilloides employ2 tactics; search for a carcass, a resource required for reproduction,or release a pheromone (call) to attract a mate. Males are plasticin the amount of time they invest in each tactic, and in a relatedspecies (Nicrophorus orbicollis), male size influences the tacticadopted. We examine the potential effects of parental care,sibling competition, relative size within a brood, and adultexperience of agonistic interactions and mating on tactic adoption.Absolute size was consistently the best predictor of callingrate, with smaller males calling more often than larger males.We suggest that the lack of a response to adult cues may reflectunpredictability in the occurrence of social interactions orstable size distributions in this population.