Page 101 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

Selfless Devotion of Creatures Within the Family

Left: Uganda assassin bug,
guarding its emerging
nymphs.
Right: Brazilian Shield bug
which lies on its nymphs to
protect them from preda-
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tors.

Larvae of the Brazilian tortoise beetle
form a symmetrical ring under their
mother's body. The mother begins
guarding the eggs before they hatch,
then leads its larvae to food sources.
If one of the young strays or tries to
escape, the mother will bring it back
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immediately.

manage escape with her life, she will follow the nymphs to whatever
leaf they've hidden in and sit on the stem to guard them. In this way,
should the enemy pursue, she cut offs the route leading to the
nymphs. Sometimes, the mother chases her young for a short dis-
tance, to prevent them from going to an unsuitable leaf, and then
leads them to a safer one instead. Mothers often die in these attacks,
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but they have bought time for their nymphs to escape and hide.

The Feeding of the Young

For defenseless young to survive, their parents must feed and
protect them. At all times, the adults need to be on guard against
predators to protect their young, and must hunt for more food to
feed them. Male and female birds feed their offspring between 4 and
12 times an hour throughout the day. If there are many chicks, they
will fly hundreds of sorties to gather enough food for them. For in-
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stance, the great tit will deliver food to its nest up to 900 times a day.

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