Patterns and mechanisms for larval aggregation in carrion beetle Necrodes littoralis (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Carrion is a patchy, nutrient-rich and frequently bulky resource that hosts a complex community of competing organisms. Several insect species have specialized to use carrion for breeding, revealing a specific suite of behavioural adaptations. Larvae of carrion insects regularly aggregate while feeding, frequently forming spectacular larval masses. Here we analysed patterns and mechanisms of collective feeding by larvae of the communally...