urbpan: (stick insect)
urbpan ([personal profile] urbpan) wrote2006-06-04 09:11 am
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Educated fleas, and others

It will no doubt shock you to learn that there are depictions of the sex act on the internet. This site (thanks, [livejournal.com profile] larksdream) attempts to gloss over the smut with scientific curiosity, and does a great job. The diversity of mating positions of different invertebrates is a thing to behold. Nervous spiders, shameless Japanese beetles, and passionate, almost artistic slugs are all featured.

Why do so many insects do it facing away from each other?

[identity profile] ankhanu.livejournal.com 2006-06-04 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I snapped a couple cerambycids makin' love the other day; once I remember which species they are, perhaps I'll contribute.
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[identity profile] lizblackdog.livejournal.com 2006-06-04 02:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Why do so many insects do it facing away from each other?

Would you be able to do it while looking a cockroach in the face? ;)

[identity profile] vyoma.livejournal.com 2006-06-04 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Why do so many insects do it facing away from each other?

Lack of oral hygiene. Ever seen a slug with a toothbrush?

[identity profile] mellawyrden.livejournal.com 2006-06-04 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I think we're all a bit jealous of the insects who can fly through the air together while mating!

What's most beautiful are the rows of insect eggs. Why are (many) insects so mathematical about it? is it for efficient use of surface area, or reasons having to do with incubation, or keeping the eggs from being eaten? (or maybe a little of all of these things..)

[identity profile] badnoodles.livejournal.com 2006-06-04 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
My guess is that for most of the flattened-ish, heavy groups, there's not enough flexibility in the genitalia to allow for any other position. Alternatively, if mating takes a long time (i.e. march flies and some moths) facing away from each other allows for coordinated flight while in coitus.

There are lots of insects that do it doggie-style, though: Odonata, Ephemeroptera, some Orthopterans, termites, most flies, and most Hymenoptera.

[identity profile] by-steph.livejournal.com 2006-06-04 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Are there any bugs with a parasitic gender? The anglerfish is one of my favorite fish because of this: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/news/index.php?entry=/pub/20060131-smallest_fish.txt

Also, since there is an invert bias to this thread, I'll happily contribute the interesting behavior of Pseudoceros bifurcus http://www.edge-of-reef.com/platelminti/PLAPseudocerosbifurcusen.htm. They are hermaphrodites that try to only mate as males and avoid the reproductive cost of being female. This results in one of the bestest things in the world - penis fencing. Now, all of you who did not study to become marine biologists can go sit in a corner and weep with regret.