Successful hatching from eggs carried by females and naturally removed from incubant males in Belostoma spp. water bugs (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)

Abstract

Within Belostomatinae water bug species (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae) it has been hitherto believed that the completion of embryonic development is successful only if eggs are incubated on male hemelytra. Nevertheless, we found egg successful hatching from aback-brooding Belostomaelegans (Mayr) and B. mican-tulum (Stål) females, as well as from fertilized eggs kicked off from four back-brooder B. elegans males. One “encumbered” B. elongatum Montandon female was also recorded, but eggs did not hatch after she removed them.