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Irresistible bouquet of death—how are burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorus) attracted by carcasses

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Abstract

Chemical composition of volatiles emitted from fresh mouse carcasses (laboratory mice, Mus musculus) was studied using solid sample injection technique (solid-phase micro-extraction), two-dimensional gas chromatography with time of flight mass spectrometric detection and gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection. Electroantennography (EAG) and laboratory olfactometric behavioural observations were used to study the antennal sensitivity to identified infochemicals and their attractiveness for burying beetles Nicrophorus vespillo and Nicrophorus vespilloides (Silphidae: Nicrophorinae). Chemical analysis showed that immediately after death, emitted volatiles did not differ from those emitted by a living organism. However, in the course of time, sulphur-containing chemicals, specifically methanethiol, methyl thiolacetate, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide and dimethyl trisulphide appear. EAG measurements revealed antennal sensitivity to these compounds. Behavioural tests in laboratory olfactometer showed that dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide and dimethyl trisulphide are highly attractive to both studied species. The data suggest that sulphur-containing chemicals are involved in mediating the fresh carcass attractiveness for N. vespillo and N. vespilloides.

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Acknowledgement

We are highly indebted to Jarmila Titzenthalerová and to Ondřej Blažek (in memoriam) for their skilful technical assistance in insect handling and electrophysiological experiments. We also thank to Miroslav Šálek (Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague) for help in statistical calculations. Special thanks are addressed to Yvonne Kavanagh (Dublin and IOCB Prague) for the language check of this paper. We very much thank the anonymous referees for constructive criticism of the manuscript. This work was supported by research project Z4-055-905 (Institute of Organic Chemistry ASCR, v.v.i.) and by grant CULS-IGA 200741110031 (Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague).

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  1. Infochemicals Group, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    B. Kalinová & M. Hoskovec

  2. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    H. Podskalská & J. Růžička

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  1. B. Kalinová
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Kalinová, B., Podskalská, H., Růžička, J. et al. Irresistible bouquet of death—how are burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorus) attracted by carcasses. Naturwissenschaften 96, 889–899 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-009-0545-6

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