Parent bug: Difference between revisions
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Then she stands over the egg batch throughout egg development. First instars barely moves after hatching, keeping in a compact group with the female, just sucking on their empty egg shells. The second instar moves towards food - berries or catkins - with the female in close attendance. Female keeps a lookout on the [[larvae]] constantly and manage them with touches of her [[antennae]]. During the third instar, larvae moves towards food and back to the leaf while the female is guarding them. Larvae splits into smaller groups and disperses at the end of the third instar, at which point the female leaves them.<ref>[http://users.jyu.fi/~mappes/publications/Mappes_etal_97_Evoeco.pdf Evolutionary Ecology],T. Lappalainen, Johanna and Tapio Mappes</ref> |
Then she stands over the egg batch throughout egg development. First instars barely moves after hatching, keeping in a compact group with the female, just sucking on their empty egg shells. The second instar moves towards food - berries or catkins - with the female in close attendance. Female keeps a lookout on the [[larvae]] constantly and manage them with touches of her [[antennae]]. During the third instar, larvae moves towards food and back to the leaf while the female is guarding them. Larvae splits into smaller groups and disperses at the end of the third instar, at which point the female leaves them.<ref>[http://users.jyu.fi/~mappes/publications/Mappes_etal_97_Evoeco.pdf Evolutionary Ecology],T. Lappalainen, Johanna and Tapio Mappes</ref> |
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It has been noted that in early nymphal instar stages the synchronity of development can become lost. While some nymphs are still in the first instar stage, others already hatched to second instar [[nymphs]] and leaves the [[Offspring|brood]] leaf. The female then no longer is able to provide an effective shelter for all her nymphs. Consequently, nymphs of different females contact and form mixed groups. In such cases, both single and joint guarding females perform guarding behaviour regardless of whether the nymphs are hers or another female’s offspring. So far, joint brood guarding has been studied in terms of predation defence behaviour. It is assumed that maintaining a „kindergarten“, i.e. a female guarding a mixed group of nymphs, could be an additional factor that promotes joint brood guarding behaviour in E. grisea. Nymphs are likely to benefit from such behaviour, in particular when females disappear or die. |
It has been noted that in early nymphal instar stages the synchronity of development can become lost. While some nymphs are still in the first [[instar]] stage, others already hatched to second instar [[nymphs]] and leaves the [[Offspring|brood]] leaf. The female then no longer is able to provide an effective shelter for all her nymphs. Consequently, nymphs of different females contact and form mixed groups. In such cases, both single and joint guarding females perform guarding behaviour regardless of whether the nymphs are hers or another female’s offspring. So far, joint brood guarding has been studied in terms of predation defence behaviour. It is assumed that maintaining a „kindergarten“, i.e. a female guarding a mixed group of nymphs, could be an additional factor that promotes joint brood guarding behaviour in E. grisea. Nymphs are likely to benefit from such behaviour, in particular when females disappear or die. |
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Females of the Elasmucha grisea L. defend eggs and small nymphs against predators. This has been proven 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. Thus, it is safe to conclude that predation is the main [http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.2307/2937326 mortality factor] affecting offspring numbers of this species.<ref>[http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/6/742.full Phenotypic selection and function of reproductive behavior], Shin-ichi Kudo</ref> |
Females of the Elasmucha grisea L. defend eggs and small nymphs against predators. This has been proven 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. Thus, it is safe to conclude that predation is the main [http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.2307/2937326 mortality factor] affecting offspring numbers of this species.<ref>[http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/6/742.full Phenotypic selection and function of reproductive behavior], Shin-ichi Kudo</ref> |
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Revision as of 20:44, 14 January 2015
| Parent bug | |
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| Adult Parent bug | |
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| Parent bug with eggs | |
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| Species: | E. grisea
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| Binomial name | |
| Elasmucha grisea | |
Description
The parent bug (Elasmucha grisea) is a common representative of Elasmucha bugs species in Europe.[1] These are shield bugs belong to superfamily Pentatomoidea of true bugs, characterized by its shield-shaped body and extended scutellum. The parent bug is a medium-sized bug (7–9 mm in length, males are slightly smaller than females), reddish shield bug with a black and white connexivum. It has an obvious black patch on the base of scutellum , that gets paler towards the tip. Legs of parent bugs are greenish, the antennae are pale near the base that gets black towards the end.
Life cycle
The parent bug overwinters as an adult. Males will die in spring after mating. Where as, females will live a bit longer and take care of the eggs and of the juveniles. A female lays a clutch of eggs on leaves of alder and birch trees and stays over the eggs, protecting them until the larvae hatches out. New adults may be observed from August. Like most shield bugs,they feed on plant sap. Parent bug needs symbiotic bacteria for the digestion of the sap. They acquire this aid-to-digestion at an early age, their mother smears her eggs with the bacteria so that the young nymphs ingest them as they feed on the egg case.
Ethology
The common name of parent bug, comes from unusual ,relatively rare behaviour in the insect world, protecting and taking care of eggs and in some species of young instars called “parental care”.[2] Females lay their eggs only after feeding on host plants with fruit, during the night. Then she stands over the egg batch throughout egg development. First instars barely moves after hatching, keeping in a compact group with the female, just sucking on their empty egg shells. The second instar moves towards food - berries or catkins - with the female in close attendance. Female keeps a lookout on the larvae constantly and manage them with touches of her antennae. During the third instar, larvae moves towards food and back to the leaf while the female is guarding them. Larvae splits into smaller groups and disperses at the end of the third instar, at which point the female leaves them.[3]
It has been noted that in early nymphal instar stages the synchronity of development can become lost. While some nymphs are still in the first instar stage, others already hatched to second instar nymphs and leaves the brood leaf. The female then no longer is able to provide an effective shelter for all her nymphs. Consequently, nymphs of different females contact and form mixed groups. In such cases, both single and joint guarding females perform guarding behaviour regardless of whether the nymphs are hers or another female’s offspring. So far, joint brood guarding has been studied in terms of predation defence behaviour. It is assumed that maintaining a „kindergarten“, i.e. a female guarding a mixed group of nymphs, could be an additional factor that promotes joint brood guarding behaviour in E. grisea. Nymphs are likely to benefit from such behaviour, in particular when females disappear or die.
Females of the Elasmucha grisea L. defend eggs and small nymphs against predators. This has been proven 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. Thus, it is safe to conclude that predation is the main mortality factor affecting offspring numbers of this species.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Fauna Europaea
- ^ Notes on the bionomics of Elasmucha grisea,S.Roth , W.Adaschkiewitz & C.Fischer
- ^ Evolutionary Ecology,T. Lappalainen, Johanna and Tapio Mappes
- ^ Phenotypic selection and function of reproductive behavior, Shin-ichi Kudo
External links
