ABSTRACT
The behavior of egg-bearing males should somehow maximize egg viability. This chapter aims to discover the function of male egg carrying, and to reconcile the observations and misinterpretations of early workers. Male water bugs in the subfamily Belostomatinae carry eggs attached to their backs by conspecific females. Prior to the 20th century, it was believed that egg-bearers were females carrying their own eggs. Early authors attributed the depositional process to a long protrusile ovipositor which the female bug was said to extend over her back. Design and carry out timed observations or event recordings to detect quantitative differences in behavior between brooding and non-brooding males. Pool data from the entire class and determine whether there are significant differences in cannibalistic proclivity among females and brooding and non-brooding males.
