Variation in life history traits among Acanthosoma and Sastragala species (Hemiptera: Acanthosomatidae)

Abstract

Life history traits, i.e., clutch size, egg weight, developmental periods of eggs, and female body size, were investigated in eight species of the genera Acanthosoma Curtis and Sastragala Amyot and Serville (Hemiptera: Acanthosomatidae): S. esakii Hasegawa, S. scutellata (Scott), A. firmatum (Walker), A. forficula Jakovlev, A. haemorrhoidale angulatum Jakovlev, A. labiduroides Jakovlev, A. denticaudum Jakovlev, A. expansum Horváth. In the former four species, females guard eggs and young on host leaves, but no females of the latter four show such behaviour. There were significant differences in these traits among species, suggesting potential differences in reproductive allocation between species with and without maternal care.