Talking to the kids – parent-offspring communication in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides
Taina Conrad1, Imane Akassou2, Liliane-Barbara Poloczek1, Steiger Sandra1. 1University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, , Germany; 2CBC (Europe), Grassobbio, , Italy

Acoustic signaling is crucial during behaviors such as mating, defense, and parental care - a prime example for cooperative behavior. A group with elaborate biparental care are burying beetles, making them model organisms in behavioral ecology. Although it has been known since Darwin that both parents stridulate, the actual function of these signals remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of stridulatory signals during brood care in N. vespilloides. We recorded biparental and uniparental parents over the entire brood care and observed their stridulation activity as well as various signal parameters. Stridulation activity significantly increased after larval hatching with no difference between uniparental and biparental couples - meaning that after hatching communication is directed toward the offspring. Additionally, signal parameters after hatching showed a much higher variance in peak frequency pointing towards different signals being used. This is evidence for complex parent-offspring communication, so far only known from vertebrates, which is essential for offspring survival and weight gain. This emphasizes the importance of communication during parental care.