# README This README file was generated on 2022-11-17 by Nathan W Burke. ## GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Dataset: Data for: Should females cannibalise with or without mating in the facultatively parthenogenetic springbok mantis? 2. Author Information A. Lead Author Contact Information: Name: Nathan W Burke Institution: University of Hamburg Address: Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GERMANY Email: nathwilliamb@runbox.com B. Co-author Contact Information: Name: Gregory Holwell Institution: University of Auckland Address: Auckland Central, Auckland, 1010, NEW ZEALAND Email: g.holwell@auckland.ac.nz 3. Date of data collection: February 2020 to May 2021 4. Geographic location of data collection: Auckland, New Zealand ## DATA & FILE OVERVIEW 1. File List: Data is contained in two files: 1. female.level.data.for.publication.csv, and 2. ootheca.level.data.for.publication ## METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: In a fully factorial laboratory experiment, Miomantis caffra females were allowed to mate or not mate and to cannibalise or not cannibalise a male. To assess the economics of sex vs parthenogenesis with and without cannibalism, female performance over the lifespan was assessed by quantifying oviposition latency, longevity, reproductive period, total number of oothecae, total ootheca mass, length of the period of emergence, offspring death during emergence, and total number of offspring. ## DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: female.level.data.for.publication.csv 1. Number of variables: 19 2. Number of cases/rows: 89 (one row per female) 3. Variable List: A. 'female.ID' (categorical): Replicate-level identifier for females. B. 'mating.trt' (categorical): Treatment variable for mating status, i.e., whether females mated or not. C. 'cannibalism.trt' (categorical): Treatment variable for cannibalism status, i.e., whether females cannibalised or not. D. 'date.of.last.moult' (date): The date that females moulted to adulthood. E. 'date.of.mating.cannibalism' (date): The date that females mated and/or cannibalised. Note that missing data are labelled NA. F. 'age.at.trial' (integer): Age of females (in days) at the time that they mated and/or cannibalised. Note that missing data are labelled NA. G. 'prothorax.length' (numerical): The length of the female prothorax (in mm). H. 'source.ID' (categorical): The identity of the population/location from which females originated. I. 'date.of.first.oviposition' (date): The date that females laid their first ootheca. Females that laid no oothecae are labelled NA. J. 'latency.to.first.oviposition' (integer): The number of days that females took to oviposit for the first time, from the date of last moult. Females that laid no oothecae are labelled NA. K. 'total.oothecae' (integer): The total number of oothecae that females laid in their lifetime. L. 'total.ootheca.weight.gm' (numerical): The total weight of all oothecae that females laid in their lifetime (in gm). Females that laid no oothecae are labelled NA. M. 'total.offspring' (integer): Total number of offspring that females produced in their lifetime. N. 'total.dead.offspring' (integer): Total number of offspring that emerged from oothecae but died still attached to the egg casing. Females that produced no offspring are labelled NA. O. 'total.living.offspring' (integer): Total number of offspring that successfully emerged alive. Females that produced no offspring are labelled NA. P. 'date.of.last.oviposition' (date): The date that females laid their last ootheca. Females that produced no oothecae are labelled NA. Q. 'reproductive.lifespan' (integer): The amount of time that females were reproductive, from the date the first ootheca was laid to the date the last ootheca was laid (in days). Females that produced no oothecae are labelled NA. R. 'date.of.death' (date): The date that females died. S. 'longevity.in.days' The length of female lifespan, from the date of the final moult to the date of death (in days). ## DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: ootheca.level.data.for.publication.csv 1. Number of variables: 11 2. Number of cases/rows: 778 (one row per ootheca) 3. Variable List: A. 'female.ID' (categorical): Replicate-level identifier for females. B. 'mating.trt' (categorical): Treatment variable for mating status, i.e., whether females mated or not. C. 'cannibalism.trt' (categorical): Treatment variable for cannibalism status, i.e., whether females cannibalised or not. D. 'prothorax.length' (numerical): The length of the female prothorax (in mm). E. 'source.ID' (categorical): The identity of the population/location from which females originated. F. 'date.of.oviposition' (date): The date that females laid each ootheca. G. 'ootheca.order' (integer): The order in which oothecae were laid by each female. H. 'ootheca.weight.gm' (numerical): The weight of each ootheca (in gm). I. 'count.offspring' (integer): Number of offspring from each ootheca. J. 'count.dead.offspring' (integer): Number of offspring that emerged from each ootheca but died still attached to the egg casing. K. 'count.living.offspring' (integer): Number of offspring that successfully emerged alive from each ootheca.