Female Burying Beetles Send Chemical Signals for Abstinence

Scientists and science enthusiasts know that certain insects, like burying beetles, send pheromones to attract potential mates. It is a surprise to discover, however, that opposite chemical signals can also be released.

According to a report from Reuters, a study published in the journal of Nature Communications described how an anti-aphrodisiac chemical from a female beetle is released during a three-day period. This period is very important for the raising of offspring.

This chemical signal informs the male burying beetle that the female is temporarily infertile, thereby dissuading the male to copulate.

The research aimed to explore how animals change their behavior to favor parenting over sexual activity. The focus of the study was the Nicrophorus vespilloides beetle.

Research leader Sandra Steiger from the University of Ulm said that it was "intriguing" that such mechanisms are present in animals. Such actions put their mating habits and parenting in sync.

A New York Times report said that burying beetles are unique from evolutionary point of view because the males and females cooperate in caring for their young. During the larvae stage of the offspring, the mother stops producing eggs.

Copulation resumes after three days when the younglings have sufficient independence from their parents.

According to the abstract of the study published in Nature, parental care requires high energy and the beetles could not afford to waste energy in mating.

A shared pathway of the pheromone is described in the paper, allowing for reliable sexual abstinence during the three-day critical period of raising the baby beetle.