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Maternal care provides antifungal protection to eggs in the European earwig

Boos, Stefan ; Meunier, Joël ; Pichon, Samuel ; Kölliker, Mathias

In: Behavioral Ecology, 2014, vol. 25, no. 4, p. 754-761

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    Titel
    • Maternal care provides antifungal protection to eggs in the European earwig
    Autor
    • Boos, Stefan. Departement Umweltwissenschaften, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland and
    • Meunier, Joël. Institute of Zoology, Evolutionary Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
    • Pichon, Samuel. Departement Umweltwissenschaften, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland and
    • Kölliker, Mathias. Departement Umweltwissenschaften, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland and
    Dokumententyp
    • Postprint
    Sprache
    • Englisch
    Veröffentlicht in
    • Behavioral Ecology, 2014, vol. 25, no. 4, p. 754-761. Oxford University Press
    Andere elektronische Ausgabe
    OAI-PMH-ID
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:294073
    Summary
    Many insects raise their offspring on organic substrates or in the soil where microorganisms are abundant. Microbes may pose a serious threat to offspring development and survival by either decomposing food resources or directly infecting the offspring. Selection to cope with these effects may favor social defenses, for example, through forms of parental care that can limit or eliminate these threats to offspring fitness. In this study, we experimentally tested if maternal egg attendance in the European earwig Forficula auricularia has a function as a social defense against mold infection of eggs by manipulating exposure of eggs to mold spores and the presence of the mother in a fully factorial design. Furthermore, we investigated the potential roles of egg grooming behavior and maternal transfer of chemicals as underlying mechanisms. As predicted, the beneficial effect of egg attendance on hatching success was significantly enhanced when eggs were exposed to the mold. Females significantly increased their egg grooming duration in response to mold exposure of her eggs, and the quantity of chemicals (identified as hydrocarbons) was maintained among attended eggs but decreased substantially among unattended eggs. Maternal transfer of chemicals was confirmed in extractions of glass beads that were mingled into attended or unattended clutches. This study shows that maternal egg attendance in the European earwig has a social defense function protecting offspring against mold infection. The maternal egg grooming behavior seems to be key for this effect, probably through both the mechanical removal of spores and the continued application of chemical substances on the egg surface