Progressive provisioning
Encyclopedia
Progressive provisioning is a term used in entomology
to refer to a form of parental behavior in which an adult (most commonly a hymenoptera
n such as a bee
or wasp
) feeds its larva
e directly after they have hatched, feeding each larva repeatedly until it has completed development. The food is typically in the form of masticated or immobilized prey items (in predatory wasps), or regurgitated nectar mixed with pollen (in bees); only rarely are other sorts of food resources used (such as glandular secretions, or carrion). While this sort of direct and repetitive feeding of offspring is extremely common in groups such as bird
s and mammal
s, it is far less common among the insects, with the exception of those groups of insects which are eusocial (one of the defining features of eusociality is cooperative brood care). Accordingly, progressive provisioning is universal among ant
s, and widespread among the social bees and wasps. Young termite
s (and other hemimetabolous insects) are able to feed themselves, and therefore do not demonstrate any form of provisioning.
One of the only well-known examples of progressive provisioning outside of the Hymenoptera are the burying beetle
s, which care for their larvae and supply them with a mass of carrion, which the adults chew and regurgitate to the developing larvae.
Many eusocial bees, such as stingless bee
s and halictids
, practice mass provisioning
, where all of the larval food is supplied before the egg is laid.
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
to refer to a form of parental behavior in which an adult (most commonly a hymenoptera
Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
n such as a bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
or wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
) feeds its larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e directly after they have hatched, feeding each larva repeatedly until it has completed development. The food is typically in the form of masticated or immobilized prey items (in predatory wasps), or regurgitated nectar mixed with pollen (in bees); only rarely are other sorts of food resources used (such as glandular secretions, or carrion). While this sort of direct and repetitive feeding of offspring is extremely common in groups such as bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, it is far less common among the insects, with the exception of those groups of insects which are eusocial (one of the defining features of eusociality is cooperative brood care). Accordingly, progressive provisioning is universal among ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, and widespread among the social bees and wasps. Young termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s (and other hemimetabolous insects) are able to feed themselves, and therefore do not demonstrate any form of provisioning.
One of the only well-known examples of progressive provisioning outside of the Hymenoptera are the burying beetle
Burying beetle
Burying beetles or sexton beetles are the best-known members of the family Silphidae . Burying beetles are true to their name. Most of these beetles are black with red markings on the elytra . They bury the carcasses of small vertebrates such as birds and rodents as a food source for their larvae...
s, which care for their larvae and supply them with a mass of carrion, which the adults chew and regurgitate to the developing larvae.
Many eusocial bees, such as stingless bee
Stingless bee
Stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees, comprising the tribe Meliponini . They belong in the family Apidae, and are closely related to common honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees and bumblebees...
s and halictids
Halictidae
Halictidae is a cosmopolitan family of the order Hymenoptera consisting of small to midsize bees which are usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance...
, practice mass provisioning
Mass provisioning
Mass provisioning is a term used in entomology to refer to a form of parental behavior in which an adult stocks all of the food for each offspring in a small chamber prior to laying the egg...
, where all of the larval food is supplied before the egg is laid.