Published on Office of Research (https://www.uoguelph.ca/research)

Home > Dare to love

Dare to love

Female praying mantises are known well for attacking and cannibalising their mates during or after sexual encounter. This picture is the fight of male and female peacock mantises, originally from Thailand in a research of insect biodiversity. Sexual cannibalism is common amongst praying mantises and some carnivorous invertebrate. The female sometimes does not even recognize that is her husband, so anything moving in her front just make her more appetizing and end up by eating her husband. Some research found that the male just dedicate his body as her meal for passing through some essential amino acids to next offspring. However, there is the secret behind her back. She eats her husband just to make sure that this guy will not get back and mate with her again, so she can have another date with different guys. In the animal kingdom, we could say that this is how female praying mantises gain her genetic diversity to the next offspring.
A male and female praying mantis facing each other on a piece of wood

Who We Are

The Office of Research oversees a $163 million research enterprise across seven colleges, our regional campus at Ridgetown, 15 research centres, and the University of Guelph/Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Agreement. We are committed to supporting the research programs of University of Guelph faculty across all disciplines.

more...

University of Guelph

50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1
Canada

519-824-4120

Quick Links

  • OR-5 form
  • Animal Utilization Protocol online system (eAUP)
  • Funding Opportunities list
  • Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance

Find Us on Social Media

  • Twitter - Twitter
  • YouTube - YouTube
  • Facebook - Facebook
  • Instagram

Source URL: https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/photo-contest/dare-love