Cannibalism refers to behavior of a species of insect killing and consuming all or part of their conspecific (New, 1991; Fox, 1975; Richardson et al., 2010). Cannibalism is determined as a common way of obtaining food in predatory insect species, especially when the prey population is scarce (Fox, 1975). Cannibalism plays an important ecological role to allow the survival of a species in such stressful conditions (New, 1991).
Cannibalism was also mentioned by New (1991) to be an inevitable consequence incurred by polyphagous insect species because they cannot differentiate between their own kind and a prey species, hence often ending up consuming their own kind. This phenomenon then, is rarely observed in monophagous insect species. However, other than predatory insect species, cannibalism is also widely observed within non-carnivorous insects for multiple reasons other than as food sources (Richardson et al., 2010).
As suggested by Fox (1975) and Richardson et al. (2010), cannibalism in both carnivorous and non-carnivorous species may be an adaptive mechanism employed to counter the severe effects of over population, parasitism and may be used to stabilize host plant-insect relationship. It can also help to improve growth rate and the survival and longevity of a species.
Cannibalism was also mentioned by New (1991) to be an inevitable consequence incurred by polyphagous insect species because they cannot differentiate between their own kind and a prey species, hence often ending up consuming their own kind. This phenomenon then, is rarely observed in monophagous insect species. However, other than predatory insect species, cannibalism is also widely observed within non-carnivorous insects for multiple reasons other than as food sources (Richardson et al., 2010).
As suggested by Fox (1975) and Richardson et al. (2010), cannibalism in both carnivorous and non-carnivorous species may be an adaptive mechanism employed to counter the severe effects of over population, parasitism and may be used to stabilize host plant-insect relationship. It can also help to improve growth rate and the survival and longevity of a species.