Who’s Dying
for Sex?
Scientists refine the calculation of when it’s really worth it
Sexual cannibalism
offers a puzzling mixture of risks and benefits.
References:
Andrade, M.C.B.
1996. Sexual selection for male sacrifice in the Australian redback
spider. Science 271(Jan. 5):70.
Andrade, M.C.B.,
and E.M. Banta. 1999. Multiple mating does not increase male fitness
in a cannibalistic spider. Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society.
June. Lewisburg.
Birkhead, T.R.,
K.E. Lee, and P. Young. 1988. Sexual cannibalism in the praying mantis
Hierodula membranacea. Behaviour 106:112.
Lawrence, S.E.
1992. Sexual cannibalism in the praying mantid, Mantis religiosa:
A field study. Animal Behaviour 43:569.
Maxwell, M.R.
1998. Lifetime mating opportunities and male mating behaviour in
sexually cannibalistic praying mantids. Animal Behaviour
55:1011.
Polis, G.A.
1981. The evolution and dynamics of intraspecific predation. Annual
Review of Entomology 27:1.
Further Readings:
Johns, P.M., and
M.R. Maxwell. 1997. Sexual cannibalism: Who benefits? Trends in
Ecology and Evolution 12(April 4):127.
Lawrence, S.E.
1991. Sexual cannibalism in praying mantids. Ph.D. thesis. University of
Sheffield.
Maxwell, M.R.
1999. The risk of cannibalism and male mating behavior in the
Mediterranean praying mantid, Iris oratoria. Behaviour
136:205.
______. In press.
Does a single meal affect female reproductive output in the sexually
cannibalistic praying mantid Iris oratoria? Ecological
Entomology.
______. In press.
Mating behavior. In Praying Mantids: Research Perspectives, F.R.
Prete, et al., eds. Johns Hopkins University Press:
Baltimore, Maryland.
Milius, S. 1998.
Why aren’t there more cannibals around? Science News 153(May
9):295.
Roeder, K.D. 1935.
An experimental analysis of the sexual behavior of the praying mantis (Mantis
religiosa). Biological Bulletin 69:203.
Sources:
Maydianne C.B.
Andrade
Cornell University
Section of Neurobiology and Behavior
S.G. Mudd Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Goran Arnqvist
University of Umea
Department of Ecology and Environmental Science
SE – 901 87 Umea
Sweden
Tim R. Birkhead
University of Sheffield
Animal and Plant Sciences
Alfred Denny Building
Sheffield S10 2TN
United Kingdom
Ruth Buskirk
University of Texas at Austin
Department of Microbiology
A5000
Austin, TX 78712-1095
Michael R.
Maxwell
University of California, San Diego
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
P.O. Box 271
La Jolla, CA 92038
Gary Polis
University of California, Davis
Environmental Science & Policy
2136 Wickson Hall
Davis, CA 95616
From Science
News, Vol. 156, No. 20, November 13, 1999, p. 312. Copyright ©
1999, Science Service. |