Proximate Costs of Male-Exclusive Parental Care in the Giant Water Bug, Abedus ovatus (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae)
Abstract
) as a model of study. We found that in the wild, males that carry more eggs have higher levels of lipid peroxidation. However, in the laboratory, we did not find an effect of experimentally increased parental care on lipid peroxidation levels. The discrepancies between our studies suggest that costs of parental care are strongly mediated by the influence of environmental factors, both biotic and abiotic, on the redox status of the parental individuals.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology
- Volume
- 99
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 187–197
- Publication date
- 26 February 2026
- Language
- EN