Female Terrestrial Isopods, Porcellio laevis Latreille (Isopoda: Oniscidea) Reduce Brooding Duration and Fecundity in Response to Physical Stress

Female Porcellio laevis (Isopoda: Oniscidea) brood eggs and young in ventral marsupial pouches, a reproductive strategy with pronounced physical and presumed fitness costs. This study examines the effect of physical stress on reproductive behavior. To induce excessive physical stress, gravid female...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 2004-07, Vol.77 (3), p.285-287
Main Authors: Kight, Scott L., Nevo, Meydar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
abiotic stress
animal stress
Body size
brooding period
duration
Eggs
Entomology
Fecundity
Female animals
gravid females
Insect reproduction
Isopoda
Locomotion
maternal behavior
parental behavior
parental care
Parental investment
Porcellio
Reproductive behavior
Reproductive success
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
stress response
subsocial behavior
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Summary:Female Porcellio laevis (Isopoda: Oniscidea) brood eggs and young in ventral marsupial pouches, a reproductive strategy with pronounced physical and presumed fitness costs. This study examines the effect of physical stress on reproductive behavior. To induce excessive physical stress, gravid female P. laevis were subjected to five minutes of continuous locomotion daily throughout the brooding period. Stressed females exhibited significantly shorter brooding periods than controls. Although stressed and control groups did not differ in average body size, there was a strong trend of reduced fecundity in stressed females. These results indicate that female isopods modify critical elements of reproductive investment under conditions of physical stress.
ISSN:0022-8567
1937-2353
DOI:10.2317/0307.09.1