Deliberate alteration of the elytra of the endangered Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae) during field surveys alters acoustic characters: Consequences for reproduction and conservation

Insects use sound during behaviors such as predator avoidance, prey location, sexual advertisement, and mate choice and localization. Characteristics of insect stridulatory sound depend on the structural morphology and the musculature employed in rubbing together the sclerotized stridulatory structures; therefore, the removal or alteration of any part of the acoustic anatomy may change sound characteristics. The burying beetles of the genus Nicrophorus use stridulation during behaviors associated with reproduction and parent-offspring communication, but field survey crews often use wing clipping to individually mark and indicate N. americanus captures during multi-night surveys.  The small V-shaped notch is cut in the caudal end of the right elytron, and serves as a permanent marking method. In this study, we found that wing clipping significantly alters spectral and temporal characteristics of stridulation.  Further, experimental breedings using one or more wing-clipped adults had significantly fewer offspring compared to controls.  This study informs conservation policies for field survey methods, and the broader context of how insects may use sound during reproduction.