Concaveation and Maintenance of Maternal Behavior in a Burrower Bug (Sehirus cinctus): A Comparative Perspective

This study investigates 2 patterns of maternal behavior typical of mammals, using a heteropteran insect as the study animal. Sehirus cinctus, a burrower bug (Heteroptera: Cydnidae), exhibits relatively well-developed maternal behavior that includes guarding eggs and provisioning offspring. Mothers remained maternally responsive to stimulus eggs for 24-48 hr following removal of their own eggs, but the response grew weaker with longer separation times. A proportion of nulliparous females also exhibited maternal responsiveness when presented with stimulus eggs. Males, however, never responded parentally to eggs. The results of this study highlight similarities in general female responsiveness to stimulus young and differences in male responsiveness to stimulus young among certain invertebrates and vertebrates.