Gerace,
D., 1997. Parental Investment in the Class InsectaOFF
LINE Gerace,
D., 1997. Parental Investment in the Class Insecta
Abstract: Parental investment theory in insects involves many complex factors. Factors that limit parental fitness dictate parental investment. Natural selection acts on parental investment to find optimal levels of investment and number of offspring. There are numerous ecological factors that exhibit the evolution of parental care. Paternal care is related to certainty of paternity. Natural selection acts against paternal care when paternity is uncertain. Paternal care should not include nuptial gifts and spermatophores give to females to nourish the eggs. The complexities of paternal care are shown in three species of Belostomatidae (The Giant Water Bug). Maternal care is the most prevalent parental investment. Females provide nourishment and tissue from their bodies to provision the eggs. Guarding of eggs and nymphs from predators is found in many different orders. The Ovoviviparous leaf beetle (Gonioctena sibirica) stays with larvae until the last larval instar. Several species show a more advanced behavior of providing food resources as well as a guarding behavior. In the family Membracidae, females use aggressive guarding as well as an alarm pheromone that is emitted from an injured nymph. This communication from offspring to parent is another type of pre-social behavior. Groups of females from the genus Elasmucha work together to guard the clutches, indicating a pre-social behavior. Biparental care in dung beetles and burying beetles demonstrates that the evolution of parental care in both males and females increases their reproductive success. Social insects by definition demonstrate parental investment; which may including sibling investment due to nepotism or indiscriminate altruism. Keywords: Parental Investment, Paternal Care, Maternal Care, Insects