Social Behavior
It is difficult to quantify the level and nature of "communication" that takes place among sarcophagid adults, though much is known about the role of pheromones in their reproductive physiologies. An experiment by Girard et al. in the 1970s demonstrated that S. bullata males release the sex pheromone hexanal, which was shown to attract over 65% of the females tested from over long distances. In studies regarding the social behavior of adult female sarcophagids larvipositing on animal remains, it has been suggested that adult females prefer to aggregate with other carrion flies and larviposit on carcasses that already have larvae present. A possible explanation for this selective preference is that an increased number of larvae results in a greater concentration of larval enzymatic secretions on the carrion, aiding in digestion. Sarcophagid larvae are also known to outcompete the larvae of other species and cause their extinction, and occasionally consume the smaller larvae present on animal remains.
Read more about this topic: Sarcophaga Bullata
Famous quotes containing the words social and/or behavior:
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—Daniel Goleman (20th century)