RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sexual Selection for Male Sacrifice in the Australian Redback Spider
JF Science
JO Science
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP 70
OP 72
DO 10.1126/science.271.5245.70
VO 271
IS 5245
A1 Andrade, Maydianne C. B.
YR 1996
UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/271/5245/70.abstract
AB During copulation, male redback spiders (Latrodectus hasselti: Theridiidae) position themselves above the female's jaws. This apparent male complicity in sexual cannibalism is favored by sexual selection because cannibalized spiders receive two paternity advantages. First, cannibalized males copulated longer and fertilized more eggs than those that survived copulation. Second, females were more likely to reject subsequent suitors after consuming their first mate. These results represent empirical evidence for male copulatory suicide as an adaptive behavior.