Intrasexual competition and mate choice in assassin bugs with uniparental male and female care

First cases of exclusive paternal care in stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

“…In all heteropterans with paternal care, males are able to copulate with more than one female in the same breeding season and to care for all of their eggs simultaneously (SMITH 1997, TALLAMY 2000, 2001, GILBERT et al 2010. Some studies have demonstrated that the benefits of paternal care in heteropterans include: (1) protection of the offspring against predators and parasitoids, as recorded for reduviids, in which females attach their eggs to leaves of terrestrial plants (ODHIAMBO 1959, THOMAS & MANICA 2005, GILBERT et al 2010, (2) preventing eggs from desiccation, as for instance in water bugs of Lethocerinae, whose females lay eggs on the emergent stems of aquatic plants (ICHIKAWA 1988), and (3) active control of the trade-off between air exchange and desiccation of the eggs, a behavior found only among water bugs of Belostomatinae, whose females lay eggs on the bodies of their mates (KRAUS et al 1989).…”

Investimento parental e papéis sexuais em opiliões com cuidado paternal exclusivo

“…Em baratas d'água e picnogonidos, por exemplo, embora os machos guardiões possam se locomover enquanto cuidam da prole, potencialmente acessando recursos alimentares , eles também exibem uma série de comportamentos de oxigenação dos ovos que são tidos como energeticamente custosos . Em opiliões e percevejos, os machos guardiões permanecem estacionários sobre as desovas por um período relativamente longo de tempo, porém os dados disponíveis sugerem que este comportamento restringe o forrageamento de machos de algumas espécies , mas não afeta o acesso desses machos a alimento em outras (Capítulo 3), sendo que eles podem inclusive canibalizar ovos da própria desova (Thomas & Manica, 2005). Dessa maneira,…”

“…Therefore, there are cases in which caring males are clearly more attractive than non-caring males, which are expected to exhibit alternative mating tactics to increase their reproductive success. Examples among arthropods include noncaring males of the harvestman M. neptunus taking over nests containing eggs and non-caring males of the assassin bug R. tristis adopting eggs from unattended clutches or from clutches whose owner has been displaced (Thomas and Manica, 2005). These tactics may be profitable to non-caring males because the benefits in terms of increased attractiveness are likely to be higher than the costs of caring for unrelated offspring ).…”

“…However, the higher potential for multiple and asynchronous mating opportunities in this case may lead to prolonged caring periods with limited foraging opportunities. Indeed, caring males of two harvestmen Requena et al, in press) and one assassin bug species (Thomas and Manica, 2005) feed less frequently than non-caring individuals. The consequences for males' body condition, though, are markedly different: paternal care erodes caring male body condition over the course of the caring period in the harvestman I. pustulosa (Requena et al, in press), while it shows no effect on caring male weight in the assassin bug R. tristis (Thomas and Manica, 2005).…”

“…Indeed, caring males of two harvestmen Requena et al, in press) and one assassin bug species (Thomas and Manica, 2005) feed less frequently than non-caring individuals. The consequences for males' body condition, though, are markedly different: paternal care erodes caring male body condition over the course of the caring period in the harvestman I. pustulosa (Requena et al, in press), while it shows no effect on caring male weight in the assassin bug R. tristis (Thomas and Manica, 2005). A plausible explanation for this difference is that males of R. tristis usually engage in filial cannibalism during caring , while males of I. pustulosa have never been observed consuming eggs from their own clutches (Requena et al, in press).…”