Editing Silphidae (section)

===Competition===

[[Competition]] from other organisms for the [[carrion]] puts the silphids at both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that fly competitors lay eggs that result in [[maggot]]s and supply food for silphids. The disadvantage for the Nicrophorinae is that if the carcass is already “blown”, referring to [[Shakespeare]]an time as being infected with fly maggots, they will not colonize. Nicrophorinae have adapted to these situations and will bury the [[Carrion|carcass]] to remove it from other competitors.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Eggert AK, Reinking M, Muller JK | year = 1998 | title = Parental Care Improves Offspring Survival and Growth in Burying Beetles | journal = Animal Behaviour | volume = 55 | issue = 1| pages = 97–107 | doi=10.1006/anbe.1997.0588| pmid = 9480676 | s2cid = 41821139 }}</ref> With this technique, a steady food source is available for the larvae and [[procreation]] chances increase.

Silphidae compete for [[offspring|brood]]ing areas. If an invader male overpowers the original male, it will mate with the original female and create a new [[offspring|brood]].<ref>{{cite journal | author = Trumbo ST | year = 2007 | title = Defending Young Biparentally: Female Risk-Taking with and Without a Male in the Burying Beetle, ''Nicrophorus pustulatus''| journal = Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology | volume = 61 | issue = 11| pages = 1717–1723 | doi=10.1007/s00265-007-0403-5| s2cid = 26073189 }}</ref> If an invader female overpowers the original female, it will also create a new [[offspring|brood]] with the primary male.