Heat waves during egg development alter maternal care and offspring quality in the European earwig.

Climate change can disrupt animal fitness by reducing survival, fertility, fecundity and altering offspring development and survival. While parental care typically helps offspring cope with harsh environmental conditions, little is known about its role in buffering extreme temperature changes, such as heat waves. In this study, we tested whether parental care mitigates the impact of cold and heat waves on eggs and juveniles in the European earwig.