Male redback spiders invite cannibalism through a ‘self-sacrificial somersault’ during sex – but why?
New research sheds light on the genetic basis of the venomous arachnid’s ‘weird mating behaviour’
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If you think you’ve had a bad one-night stand, spare a thought for the male redback spider, whose sole reproductive partner eats him after sex.
Male redbacks appear to invite this cannibalism through a “self-sacrificial somersault”, with new research shedding light on the genetic basis of the behaviour.
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