Male Participation in Nest Building in the Dung Beetle Scarabaeus catenatus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): Mating Effort Versus Paternal Effort

摘要: The dung beetle, Scarabaeus catenatus, shows not only the rolling but also tunneling tactic for nest building with bisexual cooperation. Sex roles, however, differed between tactics. In rolling, male took initiative like that of ball-roller species: he rolled a ball away and buried it. tunneling, in contrast, usually had secondary role tunnelers: was less active burrow excavation provisioning. Regardless tactics, participation did increase female reproductive output measured by number or size brood balls field, seemed to function as mate guarding against conspecific males. This suggests that, both S. catenatus invests primarily mating effort compared paternal effort. relative importance seems hold true other beetles, irrespective whether they are tunneler species. addition, strategy is ball-rollers.