Data from: Exclusive aggression against intruders in cockroach mating pairs following mutual wing-eating

Pair bonding, defined as an exclusive relationship between two adults in
the same species, often involves the selective exclusion of rivals and is
widely recognized in the social behaviors of vertebrates. However, pair
bonding has not been documented in invertebrates, despite their diverse
social systems. Here, we show that pairs of the wood-feeding cockroach
Salganea taiwanensis display selective aggression after their unique
mutual wing-eating ritual: both sexes repelled intruders of either sex but
never attacked or replaced their mate. This behaviour indicates mate
exclusivity, fulfilling the defining criterion of pair bonding. Our
findings provide the first behavioural evidence for pair bonding within
mating pairs in invertebrates, enhancing our understanding of social
systems in animals. This strict social and sexual commitment between
post-mated S. taiwanensis, indicating recognition of mates, provides a new
model for the cognitive ecology of mating in invertebrates.