Scorpions are among the oldest terrestrial arthropods, which are distributed worldwide,
except for Antarctica and some Pacific islands. Scorpion envenomation represents a public …

Mate choice is a critical decision with direct implications for fitness. Although it has been
recognized for over 150 years, our understanding of its underlying mechanisms is still …

Background Insemination in scorpions is carried out by means of a partly sclerotized
structure, the spermatophore, which is composed of two separate halves, the …

Strong male mate preferences have been documented in species with otherwise
conventional sex roles in the laboratory, and across taxa, male preferences generally focus …

Costs of sperm production may lead to prudence in male sperm allocation and also to male
mate choice. Here, we develop a life history–based mutual mate choice model that takes …

Mating plugs in animals are ubiquitous and are commonly interpreted to be products of
mating strategies. In spiders, however, mating plugs may also take on functions beyond …

Background Males usually produce mating plugs to reduce sperm competition. However,
females can conceivably also produce mating plugs in order to prevent unwanted …

Sexual coercion in the form of forced copulation has been used as a typical example to
illustrate the conflict of interests between females and males. Among arthropods, forced …

In animals with internal fertilization, sperm are transferred in ejaculates, which include water
and proteins produced by male accessory glands. These proteins help to protect and …

There is strong evidence that polyandrous taxa have evolved relatively larger testes than
monogamous relatives. Sperm size may either increase or decrease across species with the …