Mother knows best: maternal subsociality in three Brazilian tortoise beetles (Cassidinae s. str.) enhances offspring survival

Author(s)

Alvarenga, Thiago Marinho ; Capoccia, Felipe ; Vasconcellos-Neto, Joao

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Natural History; v. 59, n. 17-20, p. 13-pg., 2025-05-04.

Abstract

Subsociality is considered an adaptative life strategy when it enhances offspring survival, ie the number of broods that survive is greater with this behaviour than without. This is a very costly strategy for parents but represents an evolutionary tradeoff whose benefits outweigh the costs involved. The Mesomphaliini tribe (Cassidinae s. str.) is one of the few groups in the order Coleoptera that presents subsociality as maternal care, but there is little quantitative data on the impact of maternal care on offspring survival for these beetles. Here, we evaluated the efficiency of maternal care on offspring survival in three Brazilian Mesomphaliini species by experimentally separating mothers from their egg clutches in their natural environment. The absence of the mother caused a significant increase in the number of egg clutches that were preyed upon by the end of 96 h. We demonstrated that subsociality in these insects is an effective and adaptive strategy that increases the chances of offspring survival against predators. Our findings also show that Hymenoptera are the main predators of tortoise beetle eggs. This study enhances our understanding of the subsocial behaviour of Mesomphaliini and provides opportunities for future research on the ecology and evolution of this behaviour. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 24/10368-0 - Phylogenetic influence on the structure of interaction networks between tortoise beetles (Cassidinae s. str., Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera) and their host plants.
• Grantee: Felipe Capoccia Coelho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master