Sex differences in immunity and rapid upregulation of immune defence during parental care in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis

摘要: Summary 1. Immunity may trade-off against other important life history traits, with recent work suggesting that reproduction and parental care in particular impinge on immune defence. However, whereas the effect of immunocompetence has been intensively studied birds mammals, virtually nothing is known about how it affects insect immunity. 2. Burying beetles provide extensive biparental includes burial, preparation defence a carcass, as well subsequent feeding larvae. In addition, they cover carcass anal exudates have shown to serve an antimicrobial function (social immunity sensu Behavioral Ecology, 21, 663–668). We examined sex, mating measurements individual social burying beetle Nicrophorus orbicollis. 3. Both males females showed rapid upregulation encapsulation response upon discovery carcass. The high rate was maintained during entire period care. Lytic activity exudates, measure immunity, likewise increased. Mating had no or but generally exhibited higher than male N. orbicollis. 4. Our results suggest unusual breeding environment – microbe-rich selected for atypical pattern defence, significant physically demanding simultaneous investment two traits normally compete resources be adaptive species breed environments densities micro-organisms.