‘Chastity belt’ for spiders discovered
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From Times Wire Reports
A study of spiders’ copulation techniques found that males leave part of their sex organ inside females as a sort of “chastity belt” to deter rivals.
“Males can reduce sperm competition and thereby increase their paternity success,” Bonn University researchers wrote in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
A male only has only seconds to have sex before the larger female kills him. In more than 80% of cases, the tip of the male’s genital organ breaks off inside the female. This may be the result of a hasty getaway -- but leaves behind a sort of chastity belt that keeps other males away.
