Heat Boosts Same-Sex Mounting in Burying Beetles, Study Finds
Researchers studied burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides) by exposing them to normal (~68°F/20°C) and heatwave (~79°F/26°C) conditions to see how temperature affects mating signals via cuticular hydrocarbons. They found hotter beetles mounted other males more often, and same‑sex mounting was already common at normal temperatures. The results suggest climate change could reshuffle beetle reproductive signaling and behavior, though the exact reasons remain unclear and may involve sex‑recognition errors or other factors.