Male redback spiders evade cannibalism by mating with immature females

Survival tactic also increases chances of successful insemination, with the immature females able to store sperm until they reach adulthoodMale redback spiders at risk of being cannibalised by their sex partners have developed a survival tactic: mating only with females too young to eat them.New research has identified the adaptive behaviour among some males of the widow spider genus. Adult females of the genus regularly cannibalise their partners during or after mating. Continue reading...