Maternal care in the bromeliad crab, Metopaulias depressus: protection of larvae from predation by damselfly nymphs

摘要: Abstract Metopaulias depressus (Decapoda, Grapsidae) is a crab that breeds in water-storing leaf axils of large Jamaican bromeliads. This study examined whether and how maternal care protects larvae from predation by damselfly nymphs. The nymph the bromeliad-breeding damselfly, Diceratobasis macrogaster, major predator on bromeliad larvae. Laboratory tests revealed kills average five per day. Both crabs prefer Aechmea paniculigera as breeding site. Nymphs were abundant: 87% A. held 1–16 Bromeliad release 50 into prepared nursery axil where they develop for 9–10 days young crabs. In field experiments reduced larval mortality 60%. A calculation based abundance killing potential suggests female brood desertion would lead to 54–100% loss their reproductive investment, depending female's body size age (egg number positively correlated with size). Protected broods showed only 22% during period. crab, exerts strong selection maintenance