FEMALE-COERCED MONOGAMY IN BURYING BEETLES

The reproductive interests of the sexes often do not coincide, and thi s fundamental conflict is believed to underlie a variety of sex-specif ic behavioral adaptations. Sexual conflict in burying beetles arises w hen a male and female secure a carcass that can support more offspring than a single female can produce. In such a situation, any male attra cting a second female sires more surviving offspring than he would by remaining monogamous, whereas the female's reproductive success decrea ses if a rival female is attracted to the carcass. Monogamously paired males on large carcasses do in fact attempt to attract additional fem ales by means of pheromone emission, whereas males on small carcasses do not. Females physically interfere with male polygynous signaling us ing various behavioral tactics. We demonstrate that such interference leads to a significant decrease in the amount of time that males spend signaling, according females a means by which to impose monogamy on t heir mates.