Here's Why These Male Spiders Sacrifice Themselves by Somersaulting Into Females' Fangs While Mating
A new study suggest that even strange, complex animal behaviors can have a relatively simple genetic basis
Male redback spiders exhibit a peculiar mating ritual where they somersault and restrict their abdomen to avoid being eaten by the female during copulation. A recent study reveals that this behavior may be genetically based. Redbacks are a type of venomous spider native to Australia, with females often black or brown and males smaller, with light brown bodies and pale spots.
In contrast, closely related katipō spiders from New Zealand do not perform this self-sacrificial act. Researchers propose that the differences could be due to distinct genetic factors. They crossbred katipō females with redback males, then mated the resulting hybrids with either redback or katipō males to see if the behaviors persisted.
Half of the male hybrids performed both behaviors, suggesting the traits are not genetically linked and may have evolved independently. Understanding these mating dynamics could help conserve the endangered katipō spiders in New Zealand, where redback populations are invasive.
Written by urgent.news from Smithsonian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
