Abstract
Most insects employ non-caring strategies to safeguard their eggs and offspring from predation. Parental care behaviour is extremely rare in insects, but has been described in several insect groups and particularly in the Hemiptera. Given that such behaviour is considered an evolutionary precursor to more complex forms of insect sociality, investigating the dynamics of parental care may inform our understanding of social evolution. In this paper, we describe the oviposition and maternal care behaviour of the egg-guarding cotton or hibiscus harlequin bug Tectocoris diophthalmus (Thunberg, 1783) in the field. We also report the results of experimental manipulations designed to test for egg discrimination mechanisms in this species. Our observations indicate that females lay about 100 eggs in a cylindrical cluster around a branch or leaf petiole. Maternal care is limited to egg straddling and defensive postures and behaviours. These were only displayed when walking invertebrate predators approached the egg clutch; mothers were observed to react to the presence of parasitoid wasps on their clutches. Protective behaviours are only displayed by guarding females and are possibly triggered by oviposition, but will cease permanently if females are separated from their clutch for more than a few minutes. We found no evidence for clutch discrimination, as females guarded their own clutch as readily as unrelated eggs until hatching. Egg guarding in this species may have been selected to enhance offspring survival in a high predation environment.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 170-176 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Austral Entomology |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2016 |
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Keywords
- egg guarding
- kin discrimination
- oviposition
- parental care
- sociality
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Maternal care behaviour and kin discrimination in the subsocial bug Tectocoris diophthalmus (Hemiptera:Scutelleridae). / Giffney, Raelene A.; Kemp, Darrell J.
In: Austral Entomology, Vol. 55, No. 2, 01.05.2016, p. 170-176.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal care behaviour and kin discrimination in the subsocial bug Tectocoris diophthalmus (Hemiptera:Scutelleridae)
AU - Giffney, Raelene A.
AU - Kemp, Darrell J.
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - Most insects employ non-caring strategies to safeguard their eggs and offspring from predation. Parental care behaviour is extremely rare in insects, but has been described in several insect groups and particularly in the Hemiptera. Given that such behaviour is considered an evolutionary precursor to more complex forms of insect sociality, investigating the dynamics of parental care may inform our understanding of social evolution. In this paper, we describe the oviposition and maternal care behaviour of the egg-guarding cotton or hibiscus harlequin bug Tectocoris diophthalmus (Thunberg, 1783) in the field. We also report the results of experimental manipulations designed to test for egg discrimination mechanisms in this species. Our observations indicate that females lay about 100 eggs in a cylindrical cluster around a branch or leaf petiole. Maternal care is limited to egg straddling and defensive postures and behaviours. These were only displayed when walking invertebrate predators approached the egg clutch; mothers were observed to react to the presence of parasitoid wasps on their clutches. Protective behaviours are only displayed by guarding females and are possibly triggered by oviposition, but will cease permanently if females are separated from their clutch for more than a few minutes. We found no evidence for clutch discrimination, as females guarded their own clutch as readily as unrelated eggs until hatching. Egg guarding in this species may have been selected to enhance offspring survival in a high predation environment.
AB - Most insects employ non-caring strategies to safeguard their eggs and offspring from predation. Parental care behaviour is extremely rare in insects, but has been described in several insect groups and particularly in the Hemiptera. Given that such behaviour is considered an evolutionary precursor to more complex forms of insect sociality, investigating the dynamics of parental care may inform our understanding of social evolution. In this paper, we describe the oviposition and maternal care behaviour of the egg-guarding cotton or hibiscus harlequin bug Tectocoris diophthalmus (Thunberg, 1783) in the field. We also report the results of experimental manipulations designed to test for egg discrimination mechanisms in this species. Our observations indicate that females lay about 100 eggs in a cylindrical cluster around a branch or leaf petiole. Maternal care is limited to egg straddling and defensive postures and behaviours. These were only displayed when walking invertebrate predators approached the egg clutch; mothers were observed to react to the presence of parasitoid wasps on their clutches. Protective behaviours are only displayed by guarding females and are possibly triggered by oviposition, but will cease permanently if females are separated from their clutch for more than a few minutes. We found no evidence for clutch discrimination, as females guarded their own clutch as readily as unrelated eggs until hatching. Egg guarding in this species may have been selected to enhance offspring survival in a high predation environment.
KW - egg guarding
KW - kin discrimination
KW - oviposition
KW - parental care
KW - sociality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941242959&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/aen.12164
DO - 10.1111/aen.12164
M3 - Article
VL - 55
SP - 170
EP - 176
JO - Austral Entomology
T2 - Austral Entomology
JF - Austral Entomology
SN - 2052-174X
IS - 2
ER -