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Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
Carrion Beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) Carcass Selection: Effects Of Carcass Mass And Site Fidelity, Jonathan M. Schmude
Carrion Beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) Carcass Selection: Effects Of Carcass Mass And Site Fidelity, Jonathan M. Schmude
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
This study investigated reproductive behaviours of the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of southeastern Virginia. Carrion beetles have been known to have ranges of carcass masses used for reproductive behaviors. In this study, pitfall traps were baited with 25g, 50g, or 75g of a cat food/mackerel mixture and left to decay and attract beetles for one week to investigate if any Silphidae species prefer a single mass over another. This study investigated the carcass bait mass that is used on the subfamily and species level, and how the beetle mass plays a role in preference. The study also investigated the effect …