Shorts Who laid these green eggsInsect IdentificationInsect EggsInsects Laying Eggs

The egg is the first stage in the life cycle of most insects. Eggs can be laid singly, in clusters or in specialist structures called oothecae. Insect eggs are very small and often susceptible to drying out (dessication) so the female insect often selects the site to lay her eggs on very carefully. Oviparity is common in most insect groups including dragonflies, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, beetles, ants and butterflies. Some of these even have modified abdominal appendages, known as ovipositors, for the purpose of depositing their eggs in specific places. During oviposition females of most species remain in the foliage and drop or flick single eggs from their ovipositor to the ground 8,9. Some species place their eggs more carefully by inserting them into crevices or soil, glue them to substrate or pierce them into leaves. The norm is for insects to lay eggs, ranging from 2–5 in the large dung beetles to 750,000 in the peculiar, bee-parasitising Strepsiptera. But a small number of species have made the fairly simple jump to viviparity (laying live larvae or nymphs).

Category