Episode Details

 

Hello lovers of bugs, as well as bugs who are in love! In today's episode, we take a journey through the world of nuptial gifts within the arthropods and find out why sometimes it is best to wrap a gift before trying to go on a date. Tune in to learn the basics of why nuptial gifts exist and how they can help facilitate the mating process and generation of the next generation. This one is a bit "spicy" so if you listen with kids, prepare for some biological talk!

Crickets preparing to mate after the exchange of a nuptial gifts (Photo by Biz Turnell, via https://entomologytoday.org/2020/02/14/nuptial-gifts-romantic-gestures-bug-insect-arthropod-world-valentines-day/)

Show notes

Insect (Order, Family)

Nuptial Gift

Purpose

Dung beetles (O: Coleoptera, F: Scarabaeidae)

Food in the form of a dung ball

https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/21/2/424/323090

Part of courtship display, dung ball is used for food source to help her and the offspring

Fireflies (O: Coleoptera, F: Lampyridae) some species

Spermatophore contains sperm and nutrients

https://now.tufts.edu/2016/12/22/firefly-gift-giving-composition-nuptial-gifts-revealed

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P8vKghAoh8

 

To obtain nutrients and fertilization occurs this way

Giant water bug (O: Hemiptera, M: Belostomatidae)

Small aquatic animals as prey (fish)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eth.12416

Part of the courtship ritual, males carry the eggs

Aphids (O: Hemiptera, F: Aphididae)

“mating drop” droplet of nutrient-rich fluid

To obtain nutrients essential for reproduction

Crickets (O: Orthopera,