Abstract
Heatwaves associated with climate change threaten biodiversity by
disrupting behaviours like parental care. While parental care may buffer
populations from adverse environments, studies show mixed results,
possibly due to heat stress affecting different care components. We
investigated how heat stress impacts parental care and offspring
performance in the burying beetle Nicrophorus nepalensis under
control and heat stress conditions. We examined pre-hatching and
post-hatching care by reciprocally exchanging carcasses across both
conditions. Heatwaves affecting only one care period did not alter
reproduction, but when both were stressed, reproductive success
declined. Females exhibited higher energy expenditure during
provisioning, evidenced by greater body mass loss. Notably, heat stress
had long-lasting effects on offspring via carcass preparation, resulting
in smaller adult size and higher mortality. These results highlight the
complexity of environmental stressors on parental care, suggesting that
different care components may evolve independently, while underscoring
the limits of care under prolonged heat stress.