Availability of unfertilised eggs increases the fitness of nymphal crickets (Gryllidae)

1. Female insects of many species lay both fertilised and unfertilised eggs, with the latter accounting for up to 50% of the total number laid. These unfertilised eggs do not hatch and so their relevance is unclear. 2. In the present study, it was found that nymphs of the cricket Velarifictorus aspersus ate unfertilised eggs regardless of whether there was other food available. This provision enabled nymphs to develop successfully when no other food was provided, and to gain additional body mass when other food was available under crowded conditions. These results suggest that unfertilised eggs have an important role in the survival and development of nymphs. 3. Nymphs preferred to eat unfertilised rather than fertilised eggs, suggesting that they may have the ability to distinguish between these two types of eggs. 4. Crowding promoted feeding on unfertilised eggs and accelerate nymphal development, suggesting that greater food consumption accounts for faster growth under grouped conditions.