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Effects of carcass size and male presence on clutch size in Nicrophorus quadripunctatus (Coleoptera: Silphidae) |
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| Authors: | Masahiro NAGANO Seizi SUZUKI |
| Institution: | Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science, Matsunoyamamatsukuchi, Tokamachi City, Niigata, and;Center for e-Learning Research and Application, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan |
| Abstract: | The effects of carcass size and male presence on clutch size in Nicrophorus quadripunctatus were examined. Male presence increased clutch size and improved the female's ability to produce replacement clutches. Clutch size was also related to carcass size. There was a negative correlation between number of clutches and clutch size for most carcass sizes. We conclude that N. quadripunctatus is potentially iteroparous and hypothesize that reproductive energy is reserved for brood failure. |
| Keywords: | brood failure clutch size iteroparity male presence |