IT'S NOT CRICKET SAGEBRUSH CRICKET
For sagebrush crickets, sex is all about give and take. The male (right) takes his time during mating, ensuring that as much of his sperm can be transferred as possible. But he must give something of himself to do so: his wings. Not only does the female sagebrush cricket devour the male's wings during mating, she also drinks the blood-like fluid that leaks from his wounds. Her hunger is such that male body weight can fall by 10 per cent during this arrangement. And yet the male has more gifts up his sleeve. His sperm are wrapped up in a gooey casing which the female can, if she requires, snack upon.
The curious mating habits of sagebrush crickets are one of many spectacular arrangements that have evolved between the sexes. Together, these tactics and strategies are helping zoologists explore the economics of sexual reproduction in animals, occasionally reframing our understanding of how evolution works.
STUCK ON YOU ANGLERFISH
Some male anglerfish attach themselves to passing females, often wasting
