Cohort Size and Kinship Influence Development, Survival, and Biochemistry in Tortoise Beetle

ABSTRACT

Insects represent one of the most diverse and adaptable groups of organisms, with over 5 million species occupying a wide range of ecological niches. Despite their evolutionary success, they are continually exposed to numerous biotic and abiotic stressors, including variations in temperature, humidity, host plant availability, and population density. The present study investigates the effects of crowding, specifically cohort size and larval relatedness on the development of the sub‐social tortoise beetle, Aspidomorpha miliaris (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). It was hypothesized that variations in cohort size and the presence of non‐sibling individuals would significantly influence larval developmental parameters. To test this, larvae were reared in cohorts of two, twenty, and in groups derived from a single ootheca. For assessing the impact of relatedness, larvae from two different oothecae were reared together until adult emergence. The findings revealed that while both cohort size and relatedness influenced development, larval relatedness exerted a pronounced effect on survival and developmental outcomes in A. miliaris .