Parental Care of the Whitefly Neomaskellia bergii (Homoptera)

Egg guarding behavior in the whitefly Neomaskellia bergii was observed in Taiwan. None of 10 guarding females flew or walked away when tapped with a pin. They instead opened their wings and lifted their abdomens. Five out of 7 guarding females were found still guarding their eggs at the same positions 4 days after being marked. The 5 females added eggs to their egg masses. Two of them rotated in a 180° arc with their stylets inserted in the same position and laid another egg mass. Anoplolepis ants were found attending immatures and guarding females for honeydew. It is suggested that the female whitefly not only attracts ants but also guards her eggs from predation by ants because eggs cannot produce honeydew.