Topic
Parent bug
About: Parent bug is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3 publications have been published within this topic receiving 63 citations. The topic is also known as: Elasmucha grisea.
Papers
TL;DR: It is concluded that an ecological factor (predation) limits clutch size in this species and the parent bug lays an optimal clutch size as determined by the defending ability of the female.
Abstract: Arja Kaitala Department of Zoology, University of Stockholm, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden Females of the parent bug Elasmucha grisea L. (Acanthosomatidae, Heteroptera) defend eggs and small nymphs against invertebrate predators. Predation is the main mortality factor affecting offspring numbers in this species. Since we found a positive correlation between female size and clutch size we tested the hypothesis that a female parent bug lays as many eggs as she can defend. We manipulated clutch size by removing small and large females from their own eggs and giving them another clutch. Small females guarding large clutches lost significantly more eggs than large females guarding small clutches or females in the two control groups. Large females could defend, on average, 16% more eggs against invertebrate predators (mainly ants) than could small females. We conclude that an ecological factor (predation) limits clutch size in this species and the parent bug lays an optimal clutch size as determined by the defending ability of the female.
44 citations
TL;DR: One of the most important selective agents driving the evolution of behavioral adaptations of prey animals is predation, and for herbivorous insects, natural enemies commonly represent the major source of mortality.
Abstract: Herbivores, especially specialists, must adapt to characteristics of their host to survive and reproduce successfully (Hardin and Tallamy1992). If offspring survival among different hosts varies, natural selection should lead females to choose egg-laying sites where performance of the progeny will be highest. This is especially true when newly hatched larvae cannot move to another host (Singer 1986), or when searching for new hosts would cause heavy mortality (Singer and Mandracchia 1982). A number of studies have shown that females that search for oviposition sites respond to plant characteristics that are correlated with the nutritional quality of plants for their offspring (e.g., Myers 1985, Damman and Feeny 1988). Also, secondary chemicals of plants play an essential part in determining whether the plant is suitable for oviposition (e.g., Feeny et al. 1985). Furthermore, females may detect visually or chemically the presence of other conspecific and nonconspecific competitors already on a potential host (Rothschild and Schoonhoven 1977, Rausher 1979, Mappes and Makela 1993). However, one of the most important selective agents driving the evolution of behavioral adaptations of prey animals is predation (Endler 1991), and for herbivorous insects, natural enemies commonly represent the major source of mortality (Myers 1981, Feeny et al. 1985). Thus, predation as well as plant characteristics could influence both oviposition behavior and offspring performance on the host (Bernays and Graham 1988). At the moment, however, there is very little empirical ev-
24 citations
TL;DR: The specialist endoparasite Subclytia rotundivertis Fallen (Diptera; Tachiniidae) uses the subsocial parent bug Elasmucha grisea L. (Heteroptera; Acanthosomatidae) to parasitized females, and the main cost of parasitism seems to be a reduced period of maternal care of the nymphs.
Abstract: The specialist endoparasite Subclytia rotundivertis Fallen (Diptera; Tachiniidae) uses the subsocial parent bug Elasmucha grisea L (Heteroptera; Acanthosomatidae) The parasite injects a single egg through the upper prothorax of female bugs and after hatching the larval parasites eat their host Parasitism affected only slightly a female's ability to defend her brood when the nymphs were at the second instar stage However, with third-instar nymphs, parasitized females responded markedly less to disturbance at all levels of their defensive behaviour Parasitism reduced female survival and significantly increased the probability of death before the end of maternal care Thus, the main cost of parasitism to Elasmucha females seems to be a reduced period of maternal care of the nymphs
3 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 |
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1994 | 1 |