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Is male back space limiting? An investigation into the reproductive demography of the giant water bug,Abedus indentatus (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)

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Abstract

Because male giant water bugs in the subfamily Belostomatinae provide parental care by brooding eggs on their back, an accurate assessment can be made of both the actual and potential reproductive capacity of males. Two operational sex-ratio (OSR) indices were developed and empirically measured for a population of giant water bug, Abedus indentatus,in California. One index was based on reproductive rates measured in the laboratory; the other index was based on reproductive resources observed in the field. Both OSR indices suggest that the operational sex ratio fluctuates between maleskewed ratios in the summer and femaleskewed ratios in the winter. This pattern appears to be the consequence of two factors. First, the adult sex ratio is significantly female biased. Second, although males can outreproduce females at high ambient temperatures, the reverse is true at low temperatures. Possible reasons for the female-skewed adult sex ratio are examined, including differential recruitment, differential mortality, and sampling bias.

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    William F. Kraus

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Kraus, W.F. Is male back space limiting? An investigation into the reproductive demography of the giant water bug,Abedus indentatus (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae). J Insect Behav 2, 623–648 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065783

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