The costs and benefits of maternal egg care in the earwig Forficula pubescens

Maternal egg care is generally considered to be ubiquitous among the 1700 species of free-living Dermaptera. However, forms, costs, and benefits have only been studied in a handful species. In this study, we examined for first time earwig Forficula pubescens. Under standard laboratory conditions, set up 94 families containing mothers with either no eggs, reduced, normal or increased clutch size, eggs without mother. We demonstrate that F. pubescens indeed express multiple forms including grooming, guarding, active defences against predators, some which vary size. maternal presence had contrasting effects on eggs’ fate. On one hand, it reduced survival during their 30 days development, suggests eat part development and, contrary other Dermapterans, abandoned can resist fungal development. was necessary allow remaining hatch day 53, indicating enhance late embryonic and/or facilitate hatching process. Finally, our results did not shed light costs terms premature death, expression self-grooming, weight loss. Overall, study emphasizes investigating poorly known provide novel insights into understanding evolution within across animal taxa.