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Monogyny
Monogyny is a specialised mating system in which a male can only mate with one female throughout his lifetime, but the female may mate with more than one male. In this system, the males generally provide no paternal care. In many spider species that are monogynous, the males have two copulatory organs, which allows them to mate a maximum of twice throughout their lifetime. As is commonly seen in honeybees, ants and certain spider species, a male may put all his energy into a single copulation, knowing that this will lower his overall fitness. During copulation, monogynous males have adapted to cause self genital damage or even death to increase their chances of paternity. Definition and distinction Monogyny is one of several mating systems observed in nature, in which a male mates only once; females, however, may mate with multiple males. It is important to emphasize the distinctions between monogyny and polyandry, and monogyny and monogamy. Polyandry is a mating system by which a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamergate (ant)
A gamergate ( ) is a mated worker ant that can reproduce sexually, i.e., lay fertilized eggs that will develop as females. In the vast majority of ant species, workers are sterile and gamergates are restricted to taxa where the workers have a functional sperm reservoir ('spermatheca'). In some species, gamergates reproduce in addition to winged queens (usually upon the death of the original foundress), while in other species the queen caste has been completely replaced by gamergates. In gamergate species, all workers in a colony have similar reproductive potentials, but as a result of physical interactions, a dominance hierarchy is formed and only one or a few top-ranking workers can mate (usually with foreign males) and produce eggs. Subsequently, however, aggression is no longer needed as gamergates secrete chemical signals that inform the other workers of their reproductive status in the colony. Depending on the species, there can be one gamergate per colony ( monogyny) or sev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sexual Cannibalism
Sexual cannibalism is when an animal, usually the female, Cannibalism, cannibalizes its mate prior to, during, or after Copulation (zoology), copulation. This trait is observed in many arachnid orders, several insect and crustacean clades, Gastropoda, gastropods, and some snake species. Several hypotheses to explain this seemingly paradoxical behavior have been proposed, including the adaptive foraging hypothesis, aggressive spillover hypothesis and mistaken identity hypothesis. This behavior is believed to have evolved as a manifestation of sexual conflict, occurring when the reproductive interests of males and females differ. In many species that exhibit sexual cannibalism, the female consumes the male upon detection. Females of cannibalistic species are generally hostile and unwilling to mate; thus many males of these species have developed adaptive behaviors to counteract female aggression. Prevalence Sexual cannibalism occurs among insects, arachnids and Amphipoda, amphipods. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queen Bee
A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female ( gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed from larvae selected by worker bees and specially fed in order to become sexually mature. There is normally only one adult, mated queen in a hive, in which case the bees will usually follow and fiercely protect her. The term "queen bee" can be more generally applied to any dominant reproductive female in a colony of a eusocial bee species other than honey bees. However, as in the Brazilian stingless bee ('' Schwarziana quadripunctata''), a single nest may have multiple queens or even dwarf queens, ready to replace a dominant queen in case of a sudden death. Development During the warm parts of the year, female "worker" bees leave the hive every day to collect nectar and pollen. While male bees serve no architectural or pollinating ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Argiope Aurantia
''Argiope aurantia'' is a species of spider, commonly known as the yellow garden spider, black and yellow garden spider, golden garden spider, writing spider, zigzag spider, zipper spider, black and yellow argiope, corn spider, Steeler spider, or McKinley spider. The species was first described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1833. It is common to the contiguous United States, Hawaii, southern Canada, Mexico, and Central America. It has distinctive yellow and black markings on the abdomen and a mostly white cephalothorax. Its scientific Latin name translates to "gilded silver-face" (the genus name '' Argiope'' meaning "silver-face", while the specific epithet ''aurantia'' means "gilded"). The body length of males range from ; females range from . The average female body mass is about 752.0 mg. These spiders may bite if disturbed or harassed, but the venom is harmless to non-allergic humans, roughly equivalent to a bumblebee sting in intensity. Habitat Yellow garden spiders often build webs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Golden Orb Spider
''Nephila'' is a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. ''Nephila'' consists of numerous species found in warmer regions around the world, although some species formerly included in the genus have been moved to ''Trichonephila''. They are commonly called golden silk orb-weavers, golden orb-weavers, giant wood spiders, or banana spiders. Etymology The genus name ''Nephila'' is derived from Ancient Greek, meaning 'fond of spinning', from the words νεῖν (''nein'') = to spin (related to ''nema'' νήμα "thread") + φίλος (''philos'') = "love". Description ''Nephila'' spiders vary from reddish to greenish yellow in color with distinctive whiteness on the cephalothorax and the beginning of the abdomen. Like many species of the superfamily Araneoidea, most of them have striped legs specialized for weaving (where their tips point inward, rather than outward as is the case with many wandering spiders). Their contrast of dark brown/black and gree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Argiope Bruennichi
''Argiope bruennichi'', commonly known as the wasp spider, is a species of orb-weaver spider found across Central and Northern Europe, several regions of Asia and Africa and the Azores. Like many other members of the same genus '' Argiope'', this species features distinctive yellow, white and black markings on its abdomen. Web The spider builds a spiral orb web at dawn or dusk, most often in long grass just above ground level. The zigzag-shaped web decoration, named the stabilimentum, is featured at the centre of the orb. Its function is not currently known, though studies have indicated that the webs containing stabilimentia are damaged less often by birds flying through them. When prey gets trapped in the web, the spider immobilizes it by wrapping it in silk. The prey is then bitten and injected with a paralyzing venom and a protein-dissolving enzyme. Wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) underside, showing stabilimentum.jpg, female on web, showing stabilimentum Wasp spider (Ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pedipalps
Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among Chelicerata, chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") and anterior to the first pair of walking legs. Overview Pedipalps are composed of six segments or articles. From the proximal end (where they are attached to the body) to the distal, they are: the coxa, the Arthropod leg#Trochanter, trochanter, the Arthropod leg#Femur, femur, the short Glossary_of_spider_terms#patella, patella, the Glossary_of_spider_terms#tibia, tibia, and the Arthropod_leg#Tarsus, tarsus. In spiders, the coxae frequently have extensions called Glossary_of_spider_terms#maxilla , maxillae or gnathobases, which function as mouth parts with or without some contribution from the coxae of the anterior arthropod leg, legs. The limbs themselves may be simple tactile organs outwardly resembling the legs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Redback Spider
The redback spider (''Latrodectus hasselti''), also known as the Australian black widow, is a species of highly venomous spider believed to originate in Australia, but which is now found in Southeast Asia and New Zealand. It has also been found in packing crates in the United States with colonies elsewhere outside Australia. It is a member of the Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan genus ''Latrodectus'', the widow spiders. The adult female is easily recognised by her spherical black body with a prominent red stripe on the upper side of her abdomen and an hourglass-shaped red/orange streak on the underside. Females usually have a body length of about , while the male is much smaller, being only long. Mainly nocturnal, the female redback lives in an untidy web in a warm sheltered location, commonly near or inside human residences. It preys on insects, spiders and small vertebrates that become ensnared in its web. It kills its prey by injecting a complex venom through its t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mating System
A mating system is a way in which a group is structured in relation to sexual behaviour. The precise meaning depends upon the context. With respect to animals, the term describes which males and females mating, mate under which circumstances. Recognised systems include Monogamy in animals, monogamy, Animal sexual behaviour#Polygamy, polygamy (which includes Polygyny in animals, polygyny, Polyandry in animals, polyandry, and polygynandry), and Promiscuity#Other animals, promiscuity, all of which lead to different mate choice outcomes and thus these systems affect how sexual selection works in the species which practice them. In plants, the term refers to the degree and circumstances of outcrossing. In human sociobiology, the terms have been extended to encompass the formation of relationships such as marriage. In plants The primary mating systems in plants are outcrossing (cross-fertilisation), autogamy (self-fertilisation) and apomixis (asexual reproduction without fertilization, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paternal Care
In biology, paternal care is parental investment provided by a male to his own offspring. It is a complex social behavior in vertebrates associated with animal mating systems, life history traits, and ecology. Paternal care may be provided in concert with the mother (biparental care) or, more rarely, by the male alone (exclusive paternal care). The provision of care, by either males or females, is presumed to increase growth rates, quality, and/or survival of the young, ultimately increasing the inclusive fitness of the parents. In a variety of vertebrate species (e.g., about 80% of birds and about 6% of mammals), both males and females invest heavily in their offspring. Many of these bi-parental species are socially Monogamy, monogamous, so individuals remain with their mate for at least one breeding season. Exclusive paternal care has evolved multiple times in a variety of organisms, including invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians. Mammals Male mammals employ different beh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monogamy In Animals
Some animal species have a monogamous mating system, in which pairs bond to raise offspring. This is associated, usually implicitly, with sexual monogamy. Monogamous mating Monogamy is defined as a pair bond between two adult animals of the same species. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for some duration of time, and in some cases may copulate and reproduce with only each other. Monogamy may either be short-term, lasting one to a few seasons or long-term, lasting many seasons and in extreme cases, life-long. Monogamy can be partitioned into two categories, social monogamy and genetic monogamy which may occur together in some combination, or completely independently of one another.Ophir, Alexander G., Phelps, Steven M., Sorin, Anna Bess & O. Wolff, J. (2008)Social but not genetic monogamy is associated with greater breeding success in prairie voles/ref> As an example, in the cichlid species '' Variabilichromis moorii'', a monogamous pair will care for eggs and y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polyandry In Animals
In behavioral ecology, polyandry is a class of mating system where one female mates with several males in a breeding season. Polyandry is often compared to the polygyny system based on the cost and benefits incurred by members of each sex. Polygyny in nature, Polygyny is where one male mates with several females in a breeding season (e.g., lions, deer, some primates, and many systems where there is an Alpha (biology), alpha male). A common example of polyandrous mating can be found in the field cricket (''Gryllus bimaculatus'') of the insect order Orthoptera (containing crickets, grasshoppers, and groundhoppers). Polyandrous behavior is also prominent in many other insect species, including honeybees, the red flour beetle, the Callosobruchus chinensis, adzuki bean weevil, and the species of spider ''Stegodyphus lineatus''. Polyandry also occurs in some mammals including primates such as marmosets and the marsupial genera ''Antechinus'' and bandicoots, and in around 1% of all bird ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
