Experimental evidence for physical cues involved in oviposition site selection of lotic hydrobiosid caddis flies

Cues involved in determining the distribution of invertebrate propagules within a stream landscape contribute greatly to our knowledge of the supply and arrangement of new recruits and thus an improved understanding of factors that might ultimately affect population parameters. Previous observations indicated that both current velocity and rock size were important determinants of the egg mass distribution of certain hydrobiosid caddis flies that lay their eggs in single masses beneath emergent rocks. These observations were tested experimentally in a temperate, upland Australian stream. Manipulations of current speed confirmed that females of Ulmerochorema sp. and the Taschorema complex deposited more eggs on rocks in elevated current speeds (>0.40 ms(-1)) whereas Apsilochorema sp. deposited more eggs on rocks in slow currents (<0.30 ms(-1)). This latter result did not coincide with previous observational data. The anomaly between observational and experimental data, however, was reconciled by the outcome of a further experiment that tested the influence of the emergent or 'landing pad' size of rocks as the abundance of Apsilochorema egg masses increased with landing pad size independent of the prevailing flow conditions. Landing pad size did not influence the abundance of egg masses of Taschorema or Ulmerochorema. Patterns of female visits to rocks indicated that taxa might distinguish between favoured egg-laying sites prior to landing on rocks. Large aggregations of adult male and female Ulmerochorema collected from rocks favoured for oviposition provide indirect evidence for mating induced swarming behaviour associated with oviposition site selection. This study provides a framework for more sophisticated questions relating to the influence of oviposition site selection on structuring populations of lotic macroinvertebrates.     

Selective oviposition of the mayfly Baetis bicaudatus

Selective oviposition can have important consequences for recruitment limitation and population dynamics of organisms with complex life cycles. Temporal and spatial variation in oviposition may be driven by environmental or behavioral constraints. The goals of this study were to: (1) develop an empirical model of the substrate characteristics that best explain observed patterns of oviposition by Baetis bicaudatus (Ephemeroptera), whose females lay eggs under rocks protruding from high-elevation streams in western Colorado; and (2) test experimentally selective oviposition of mayfly females. We surveyed the number and physical characteristics of potential oviposition sites, and counted the number and density of egg masses in different streams of one watershed throughout two consecutive flight seasons. Results of surveys showed that variability in the proportion of protruding rocks with egg masses and the density of egg masses per rock were explained primarily by seasonal and annual variation in hydrology, and variation in geomorphology among streams. Moreover, surveys and experiments showed that females preferred to oviposit under relatively large rocks located in places with high splash associated with fast current, which may provide visual, mechanical or both cues to females. Experiments also showed that high densities of egg masses under certain rocks were caused by rock characteristics rather than behavioral aggregation of ovipositing females. While aggregations of egg masses provided no survival advantage, rocks selected by females had lower probabilities of desiccating during egg incubation. Our data suggest that even when protruding rocks are abundant, not all rocks are used as oviposition sites by females, due to female selectivity and to differences in rock availability within seasons, years, or streams depending on variation in climate and hydrogeomorphology. Therefore, specialized oviposition behavior combined with variation in availability of quality oviposition substrata has the potential to limit recruitment of this species.Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Oviposition site selectivity of some stream-dwelling caddisflies

Population dynamics depends upon the spatial distribution of individuals in heterogeneous environments. The various processes surrounding insect oviposition are central to understanding their population dynamics because the choice of oviposition site ultimately influences the survivorship and spatial distribution of their progeny. Aquatic insects are often assumed to have non-selective oviposition habits, but empirical data are scarce and selective oviposition may be quite common. We quantitatively sampled egg masses of stream-dwelling caddisflies (Trichoptera) that specialise in egg-laying on hard substrata underwater, in order to characterise oviposition site selectivity and test for communal oviposition. In a field survey of two Scottish streams, we sampled egg masses of three species, Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche siltalai, Rhyacophila dorsalis, with the aim of testing whether egg mass abundance varied with current (riffles vs. pools), location within the channel (margins vs. centre) and rock exposure (emergent vs. fully submerged). In one stream, we captured adults landing on emergent rocks and assessed whether females were modified morphologically for swimming. The egg masses of two species (P. flavomaculatus, H. siltalai) occurred primarily on submerged rocks in pool margins, and adult females had legs modified for swimming. In contrast, egg masses of R. dorsalis were most abundant on the underside of emergent rocks in riffles, and females were not modified for swimming. Communal oviposition was evident for all three species, with most egg masses aggregated on the minority of potential rocks. How females locate oviposition sites and the consequences of these highly specialised oviposition behaviours to the survival and spatial distribution of larvae now require investigation. The effects of these behaviours on population dynamics are likely to differ from terrestrial herbivores because oviposition sites are not food resources for these aquatic species.     

Oviposition in three species of limnephiloid caddisflies (Trichoptera): hierarchical influences on site selection

1. Oviposition site selection was studied in three trichopteran species; an undescribed species of Hydatophylax (Limnephilidae), Onocosmoecus unicolor (Limnephilidae) and Neophylax rickeri (Uenoidae), in two Coastal Range streams in California, U.S.A. 2. Hydatophylax sp. egg masses were generally found at or above the water surface on substrata near the bank in pools, where undercut banks, overhanging vegetation and rocks shaded attachment sites and provided wind protection. Onocosmoecus unicolor females deposited their egg masses exclusively above the water on moist emergent wood. The egg masses of N. rickeri were almost exclusively found in high velocity areas of riffles, where females oviposited under water and attached their egg masses to the submersed undersides of unembedded, protruding stones with large emergent surfaces. 3. For Hydatophylax sp. and N. rickeri, a hierarchical selection scheme is proposed in which females use cues at three different spatial levels (stream, stream subunit, substratum) to choose oviposition sites. Females of O. unicolor seemed to choose at only two different levels of spatial resolution (stream, substratum). 4. The formation of large aggregations of egg masses in N. rickeri and O. unicolor suggests that females actively choose oviposition sites where conspecific egg masses are already attached. The clustering of egg masses may minimise the risk of predation through the dilution effect, because egg masses of N. rickeri and O. unicolor are both attacked by dipteran predators. 5. Females of the three Trichoptera species studied are able to make a clear choice of oviposition site in the heterogeneous stream environment. In comparison with other stream microhabitats, these are characterised by stable and relatively predictable environmental conditions during the time of egg development, which is seen as the main selective pressure leading to the observed egg‐laying behaviour.     

Hydrologic and behavioral constraints on oviposition of stream insects: implications for adult dispersal

The supply of recruits plays an important role in plant and animal population dynamics, and may be governed by environmental and behavioral constraints on animals. Mated females of the mayfly genus Baetis alight on rocks protruding from streams, crawl under water and deposit a single egg mass under a rock. We surveyed oviposition and emergence of a bivoltine population of B. bicaudatus in multiple stream reaches in one high-altitude watershed in western Colorado over 3 years to establish qualitative patterns at a regional scale (entire watershed), and quantitative patterns over six generations at a local scale (one stream reach). We also measured characteristics of preferred oviposition substrates, performed experiments to test hypotheses about cues used by females to select oviposition sites, and measured mortality of egg masses in the field. Our goals were to determine whether: (1) hydrologic variation necessitated dispersal of females to find suitable oviposition sites; (2) the local supply of females could provide the supply of local recruits; and (3) local recruitment determined the local production of adults. The onset of oviposition corresponded with the decline of spring run-off, which differed dramatically among years and among sites within years. However, eggs appeared before any adults had emerged in 8 of 22 site-years, and adults emerged 2-3 weeks before any eggs were oviposited in 3 site-years. Furthermore, the size distribution of egg masses differed from that predicted by the size distribution of females that emerged from seven of nine stream reaches. Protruding rocks and eggs appeared earlier each summer in smaller tributaries than in larger mainstream reaches, suggesting that hydrologic and behavioral constraints on oviposition may force females to disperse away from their natal reach to oviposit, and possibly explain the predominantly upstream flight of Baetis females reported in other studies. Local oviposition rates in one third-order stream-reach increased rapidly as soon as substrates protruded from the water surface, and females preferred large rocks that became available early in the flight season. However, females oviposited on <10% of all available rocks, and <65% of preferred rocks as determined by an empirical model. These data indicated that the timing of appearance of suitable oviposition sites determined the phenology of local recruitment, but that preferred oviposition sites were not saturated. Thus, the magnitude of local recruitment was not limited by the absolute abundance of preferred oviposition sites. Only 22% of egg masses observed in the field suffered mortality during their embryonic development, and per capita Baetis egg mass mortality was significantly lower on rocks with higher densities of egg masses. Thus, we suspect that specialized oviposition behavior may reduce the probability of egg mortality, potentially compensating for the costs of dispersal necessary to locate suitable oviposition sites. Finally, the number of adults that emerged at one stream reach was independent of the number of egg masses oviposited over six generations of Baetis; and local recruitment was not a function of the number of adults of the previous generation that emerged locally. The patterns of oviposition and emergence of Baetis found in this study are consistent with the following hypotheses. Recruitment of eggs in a stream reach is not limited by the local supply of adults, but is a function of the regional supply of dispersing adults, which are constrained by the spatial and temporal distribution of preferred oviposition habitat. Furthermore, subsequent local production of adults is not a function of the supply of recruits, arguing for post-recruitment control of local populations by processes operating in the larval stage (e.g., predation, competition, dispersal, disturbance). Processes affecting larval and adult stages of Baetis act independently and at different scales, thereby decoupling local population dynamics of successive generations.     

Environmental constraints on oviposition limit egg supply of a stream insect at multiple scales

Species with complex life cycles pose challenges for understanding what processes regulate population densities, especially if some life stages disperse. Most studies of such animals that are thought to be recruitment limited focus on the idea that juvenile mortality limits the density of recruits (and hence population density), fewer consider the possibility that egg supply may be important. For species that oviposit on specific substrata, environmental constraints on oviposition sites may limit egg supply. Female mayflies in the genus Baetis lay egg masses on the underside of stream rocks that emerge above the water’s surface. We tested the hypothesis that egg mass densities are constrained by emergent rock densities within and between streams, by counting egg masses on emergent rocks. All emergent rocks were counted along 1-km lengths of four streams, revealing significant variation in emergent rock density within streams and a more than three-fold difference between streams. In each stream, egg mass density increased with the density of emergent rocks in 30-m stretches. We used regression equations describing these small-scale relationships, coupled with the large-scale spatial variation of emergent rocks, to estimate egg mass densities for each 1-km stream length, a scale relevant to population processes. Scaled estimates were positively associated with emergent rock density and provided better estimates than methods that ignored environmental variation. Egg mass crowding was inversely related to emergent rock density at the stream scale, a pattern consistent with the idea that oviposition substrata were in short supply in streams with few emergent rocks, but crowding did not compensate entirely for differences in emergent rock densities. The notion that egg supply, not larval mortality, may limit population density is an unusual perspective for stream insects. Environmental constraints on egg supply may be widespread among other species with specialised oviposition behaviours.     

A quantified ethogram for oviposition behavior and oviposition preference in the hemipterophagous butterfly Spalgis epius (Westwood) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

In this study, we examined the oviposition behavior and preference of Spalgis epius, a potential predator of mealybug crop pests. An ethogram of oviposition behavior was constructed based on observations made in an oviposition cage. Ovipositional behavioral acts were catalogued and separated into two behavioral repertoires: searching and egg laying. Gravid females of S. epius oviposited similar numbers of eggs on three mealybug species. Females preferred eggs and adults to nymphs of mealybugs for oviposition. Among three species of mealybugs attended by ants, females laid fewer eggs in the mealybug mass attended by Oecophylla smaragdina than on mealybugs attended by Tapinoma melanocephalum and Camponotus variegatus. Females preferred mealybug masses already containing conspecific eggs to mealybug masses containing conspecific larvae or Cryptolaemus montrouzieri larvae for egg deposition. Gravid females laid larger numbers of eggs under bright sunlight than in diffused sunlight or shade. The results of this study showed that S. epius can effectively attack any species of mealybugs, avoid intra- and interspecific competition, and co-exist with some species of ants attending mealybugs. With the knowledge of these behaviors, this predator can be effectively utilized as a major biological control agent of mealybugs.     

Possible Age-Dependent Variation in Egg-Loaded Host Selectivity of the Pierid Butterfly, Anthocharis scolymus (Lepidoptera: Pieridae): A Field Observation

To understand better the effects of age on host selection through conspecific egg detection by Anthocharis scolymus females, field observations were performed at a graveyard where the insect population was isolated and the host plant was limited to the cruciferous plant, Turritis glabra. We chased females and recorded their oviposition behaviors and the conditions of plants which females approached. Older females tended to avoid ovipositing on egg-loaded host plants and selectively laid eggs on nonloaded host plants. This result was not confounded by other factors such as seasonality, air temperature, plant height, plant phenological stage, surrounding vegetation, host plant density, and extent of plant damage. We discuss the possibility that females make an oviposition decision on how to lay their limited number of eggs during their remaining lifetime.     

Oviposition strategies employed by the western spruce budworm: tests of predictions from the phylogenetic constraints hypothesis

1 Predictions from the Phylogenetic Constraints Hypothesis were tested for the first time in an eruptive forest Lepidopteran species, the western spruce budworm. 2 In previous work, we established that western spruce budworm females exhibit oviposition preferences with regard to tree age, tree vigour and host species. However, there was no evidence to support a link between oviposition preference and larval performance, which supports the Phylogenetic Constraints Hypothesis. 3 Our preference data led us to test whether female budworms use oviposition strategies to select the sites where they lay their egg masses. Our experiments were designed to make direct comparisons between latent and eruptive insect herbivores with respect to two oviposition behaviours: egg retention and avoidance of conspecifics. This type of research has not previously been conducted on any eruptive forest Lepidopteran. 4 Female budworms retained eggs instead of laying them on less preferred hosts in two of three experiments, but the percentage of eggs they retained was significantly less compared to latent insect herbivores. 5 In addition, female budworms actively avoided oviposition in areas with the highest density of conspecific egg masses, but they laid egg masses in all the other locations provided. This contrasts with the pattern seen in latent insect herbivores, which consistently avoid laying their eggs near any sites already used by conspecifics. 6 Our research indicates that there are extreme differences between latent and eruptive insect herbivores with respect to egg retention and avoidance of conspecifics, thus supporting the Phylogenetic Constraints Hypothesis.     

Flexible oviposition strategies in túngara frogs and their implications for tadpole spatial distributions

Because oviposition site selection is often studied in a single ecological context, little is known about flexibility in oviposition strategies. We studied the oviposition site selection strategies of túngara frogs ( Physalaemus pustulosus ) with respect to conspecific eggs and larvae in two different ecological contexts-arrays of artificial ponds and natural stream pools. We fit maximum likelihood models to sequential pond use data for both systems and found that strategies for oviposition differed greatly between the two systems. Within arrays of artificial ponds, túngara frogs avoided both conspecific egg masses and conspecific larvae. However, within a set of natural stream pools, túngara frogs consistently oviposited in the same pools from night to night, while many nearby ponds went unused. These variable strategies produced very different distributions of tadpoles among ponds, such that tadpoles tended to be evenly spread among artificial ponds, but highly clumped within stream pools. The difference between the two strategies appears to be an overriding effect of habitat quality. Surface area and the amount of leaf litter were all significant predictors of whether stream pools were used. Additionally, an experiment in which egg masses were either transplanted to, or removed from, selected stream pools provided no evidence that frogs in these pools used egg masses per se as a cue for oviposition. These results illustrate that oviposition strategies may be very flexible, allowing species to adjust strategies to different ecological contexts. Furthermore, they demonstrate that variation in oviposition strategies may have strong effects on egg and larval spatial distributions in patchy environments.     

Chrysoperla rufilabris (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) females do not avoid ovipositing in the presence of conspecific eggs

Previous experiments have demonstrated that green lacewing (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) adults could be attracted to field crops using artificial honeydew. To be effective as a biological control method, such a technique would require that the increase in female abundance translate in an increase egg deposition. An experiment was conducted to evaluate whether the honeydew-feeding females of the green lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) avoid laying eggs in the presence of conspecific eggs. The potential risk associated with oviposition in a site already occupied by conspecific eggs was also studied. The preference of C. rufilabris larvae for kin and non-kin eggs and the susceptibility of C. rufilabris eggs to cannibalism relative to their age was determined. The results demonstrate that females are not reluctant to oviposit in the presence of conspecific eggs. Larvae show no preference for kin or non-kin eggs, and lacewing eggs become less susceptible to cannibalism as they age. This indicates that the risk of egg cannibalism by neonate in the field may be low. The results are discussed from ecological and biological control points of view.     

Aggregative oviposition varies with density in processionary moths—Implications for insect outbreak propensity

1. In gregarious insects, groups commonly originate from females laying eggs in masses and feeding groups are established as soon as larvae hatch. Some group-living insect species may aggregate beyond the individual parent level, such that offspring from two or more egg masses develop within a common resource.
2. Here we show that aggregative oviposition can vary with population density at oviposition and possibly be an important factor in outbreak dynamics of phytophagous insects.
3. We analysed density data with respect to egg mass aggregation for two species of pine processionary moths, Thaumetopoea pinivora (in Sweden 2005–2019) and T. pityocampa (in Spain 1973–1991). Both species lay their eggs in egg masses and feed in groups. During the study periods, insect population density for both species varied by at least an order of magnitude.
4. The two species showed strikingly similar patterns of egg mass aggregation. Egg masses were overdispersed at high population density, with few trees showing a high load of egg masses.
5. Our data suggest that aggregative oviposition can be important in explaining the previously documented higher propensity for outbreaks in insects laying eggs in clusters, compared with those laying individual eggs.

     

How Mosquito Age and the Type and Color of Oviposition Sites Modify Skip-Oviposition Behavior in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)?

To address how physiological age, container type and the number of substrates affect Aedes aegypti skip-oviposition behavior, we examined egg distribution by individual females across consecutive gonotrophic cycles. We found no support for the effect of age on egg distribution. However, the hypothesis that both the variety and color of the container would influence skip-oviposition behavior was confirmed. Skip-oviposition behavior remained unchanged throughout the female’s life. The egg distribution pattern was characterized by a significantly higher oviposition rate in one site, with residual eggs distributed in groups of 1–30 eggs. Regardless type, most eggs were registered in dark containers. These data suggest that females contribute equally to population dynamics throughout their lifespan and illustrates the impact of color on egg dispersion.     

Age- and density-related oviposition behavior of the European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Age-related oviposition patterns ofOstrinia nubilalis were studied at three population densities in the laboratory by releasing newly eclosed adults in wire-screened cages and analyzing their oviposition throughout the adult stage with digital analysis. Oviposition sequences of individual females depositing egg masses were documented on the third and seventh nights after eclosion with a video camcorder. During a sequence, a female produced an egg in an average time of 15 or 26 s on the third and seventh nights, respectively, and completed depositing an egg mass the size of 20–39 eggs in an average time of 316 and 525 s, respectively. Females were not easily disturbed during egg mass deposition and pulsated their abdomen before deposition of each egg. Females produced few egg masses the first night after eclosion. Oviposition increased on nights 2 and 3 but declined steadily thereafter as females matured. Females older than 6 nights produced fewer egg masses; the proportion of egg masses with fewer than 20 eggs increased gradually. By the end of the adults' lifetime, nearly 100% of the egg masses had fewer than 20 eggs. The data are fundamental to our research to define the role of phytochemicals in modifying oviposition behavior of the European corn borer.     

Does insect mother know under what conditions it will make their offspring live?

According to the optimal oviposition theory, the larval success of insects depends on the oviposition site selection by females. Females are expected to choose a site with many resources and few competitors or predators to allow the best performance for their progeny, assuming that “mother knows best.” However, this is not systematically observed. The Aphidoletes aphidimyza larvae are generalist aphid predators and females consequently lay their eggs near or inside aphid colonies. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of intraspecific competition on oviposition behavior of A. aphidimyza females. First, we counted the number of eggs laid by a female on a leaf with 20 aphids, in the presence of 0, 2, 4, or 6 conspecific eggs or in the absence of eggs but in presence of 3 virgin females. The same experiment was also performed under choice condition with 2 oviposition sites. Our results show that the presence of low densities of conspecific eggs, or the presence of conspecific females, have no significant impact on the number of eggs laid by A. aphidimyza females. One of the hypotheses advanced to explain these results is the advantages of conspecifics presence. At low densities, the presence of eggs on an oviposition site can indicate the suitability of the site for the females. The conspecific presence can also insure a dilution effect against predator and increase the presence of potential mating partners for this monogenic species.     

A test of the preference–performance hypothesis with stream insects: selective oviposition affects the hatching success of caddisfly eggs

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Egg mass destroying behaviour of the female giant water bugLethocerus deyrollei Vuillefroy (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae)

After being laid on emergent aquatic vegetation, the egg masses ofLethocerus deyrollei are brooded by the male. In laboratory studies, females were observed to destroy egg masses and ingest the fluid of eggs. Brooding males fought with these attackers at first, but then gave up the defense and mated with them. After destroying the egg masses, females laid new ones at the same sites on the same night or the following one, and males brooded the new offspring. The population density of this species is very low. Most males engage in brooding and cease to become acceptable mates after most of the females lay the first egg masses. It is costly for females to search out free males in the aquatic vegetation. By destroying egg masses, however, individual females can gain new mates with little exertion and can make them brood their own offspring. Furthermore, the survival of their own offspring increases with the elimination of their competitors.     

The distribution of aquatic invertebrate egg masses in relation to physical characteristics of oviposition sites at two Victorian upland streams

1. Various physical variables were measured at rocks potentially used by lotic macroinvertebrates as oviposition sites at multiple locations on two occasions along the Acheron and Little Rivers, south‐eastern Australia. The associations between these parameters and the presence/absence and abundance of aquatic insect egg masses were explored as well as the small‐scale distribution of egg masses on individual rocks. 2. Physical features that characterise oviposition sites of 17 different aquatic taxa are presented. No obvious differences in patterns of oviposition site selectivity were apparent between multiple sampling times or locations. For some common taxa, multivariate analyses revealed that measurements of rock size and local current speed were positively related to the likelihood of an egg mass being present. However there were no consistent relationships between the abundance of egg masses and either of these variables. 3. The small‐scale distribution of egg masses on individual rocks revealed patterns in relation to surfaces that clearly differed as oviposition habitat, such as the underside, upstream and downstream surfaces. Presumably, these patterns are the result of small‐scale variation in flow conditions that characterise these particular rock surfaces. 4. The results of this study indicate that the oviposition strategies of a number of aquatic taxa may be reasonably predictable based on measurable physical parameters. These findings have important implications for future studies wanting to incorporate the adult and egg life history stages of lotic insects into studies of population dynamics.     

Conspecifics and Their Posture Influence Site Choice and Oviposition in the Damselfly Argia moesta

Finding a suitable oviposition site can be costly because of energy and time requirements, and ovipositioning can be dangerous because of the risk of predation and harassment by males. The damselfly Argia moesta oviposits, contact-guarded by her mate, on vegetation in streams. Oviposition aggregations are commonly observed in this species, despite their territorial nature during other behaviors. We conducted experiments in the field to test the hypothesis that aggregations are the result of conspecific attraction. In the first experiment, two oviposition sites (sycamore leaves) were provided, one with models of ovipositing pairs, and one without. In the second experiment, one leaf again had ovipositing models, while the other had models of uncoupled males and females in a resting posture. In both experiments, damselfly pairs preferred the site with ovipositing models. In general, they visited the ovipositing models first more often than expected by chance, stayed longer there, were more likely to oviposit there, and laid a greater total number of eggs there. These results support the hypothesis that conspecific attraction is responsible for ovipositing aggregations in A. moesta and that posture is an important cue for attraction. Using conspecific cues could be a beneficial strategy to save in search costs while taking advantage of the presence of ovipositing conspecifics to dilute the effects of harassment and predation.     

Fine‐scale selection by ovipositing females increases egg survival

One of the most important defenses for the eggs of ovipositing female organisms is to avoid being laid in the same habitat as their predators. However, for most organisms, completely avoiding an offspring's predators is not possible. One mechanism that has been largely overlooked is for females to partition an oviposition site into microhabitats that differ in quality for offspring survival. We conducted a series of experiments to examine whether female newts avoid microhabitats utilized by their offspring's primary predator, caddisfly larvae. Female newts avoided laying eggs near predatory caddisflies and shifted egg laying upward in the water column when provided with a vertical dimension. Caddisflies were attracted to chemical stimuli from female newts and their eggs, yet primarily used benthic areas in experimental chambers. Finally, results from a field experiment indicate that the behavioral strategy employed by female newts increases offspring survival. This subset of non‐genetic maternal effects, micro‐oviposition avoidance, is likely an important yet underexplored mechanism by which females increase offspring survival.