Abstract
Female redback spiders cannibalise mating males. New research has shown they have evolved two separate sperm storage organs, allowing them to make post-copulatory paternity choices. Counter-adaptation by males, to maximise paternity after cannibalism, has led to the evolution of an abdominal constricting mechanism, which enhances short-term survival and mating success after attack by the female and maximises the chances of inseminating both sperm storage sites.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 630-632 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Current Biology |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 16 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2005 |