Male redback spiders invite cannibalism through a ‘self-sacrificial somersault’ during sex – but why?
Summary
Male redback spiders perform a unique "self-sacrificial somersault" during mating that causes females to eat them after sex. Scientists found this behavior is linked to a specific gene on the male spider’s X chromosome and studied how it differs from related spider species like the New Zealand katipō.Key Facts
- Male redback spiders often get eaten by females after mating through a behavior called a self-sacrificial somersault.
- During mating, the male flips his body into the female’s mouth to help transfer sperm and increase reproductive success.
- This sacrificial act is genetically linked to a specific part of the male spider’s X chromosome.
- Redbacks are related to New Zealand’s katipō spiders, which do not show this cannibalistic behavior.
- Researchers bred redbacks and katipō spiders together and found about half of the offspring showed the somersault behavior.
- The katipō and redback species separated around 100,000 years ago, during which time katipō lost this behavior.
- Interbreeding between invasive redbacks and native katipō in New Zealand is a concern because it could harm the native species.
- Understanding this behavior and interbreeding helps scientists find ways to protect native katipō spiders.
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