Brood

Definition

The aggregate offspring produced by a single reproductive event; in arthropods, typically refers to eggs, larvae, nymphs, or juveniles that develop together from one clutch or maternal investment. In social insects, distinguishes cohorts of workers produced seasonally or by different queens. In parasitoids, describes the set of progeny emerging from a single host. Brood size and brood survival are key fitness parameters in life-history studies.

Etymology

Middle English brood, from Old English brōd; akin to Dutch broed and German Brut, all referring to that which is hatched or bred.

Example

A female burying beetle (Nicrophorus) prepares a vertebrate carcass as a brood chamber, then deposits a brood of 10–30 larvae that feed communally until dispersal; the male often assists in brood care.

Synonyms

• clutch
• litter
• progeny

Related Terms

• clutch size
• brood care
• brood parasitism
• oviposition
• Fecundity
• r-selection
• Parental investment

Usage Notes

Distinguish from 'clutch' (often emphasizes eggs specifically) and 'litter' (more common in mammals). In social Hymenoptera, 'brood' collectively denotes eggs, larvae, and pupae requiring colony care. Brood can be a mass noun ('brood was present') or countable ('three broods per season'). Not to be confused with 'Brood' as an author suffix in taxonomic names (e.g., bryozoan genera by Brood, 1972).