|
Mating Plug
A mating plug, also known as a copulation plug, vaginal plug, sperm plug, or sphragis (Latin, from , "a seal"), is a gelatinous secretion used in the mating of some species. It is deposited by a male into a female genital tract, such as the vagina, and later hardens into a plug or glues the tract together. While females can expel the plugs afterwards, the male's sperm still gets a time advantage in getting to the egg, which is often the deciding factor in fertilization. The mating plug plays an important role in sperm competition and may serve as an alternative and more advantageous strategy to active mate guarding. In some species, such a passive mate-guarding strategy may reduce selection on large male size. Such a strategy may be advantageous because it would allow a male to increase reproductive success by spending more time pursuing new female mates rather than active mate guarding. Composition The mating plug of the ''Bombus terrestris'' was chemically analyzed and found ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organisms, making it the second largest insect order (behind Coleoptera) with 126 family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic rank, superfamilies, and one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world. Lepidopteran species are characterized by more than three derived features. The most apparent is the presence of scale (anatomy), scales that cover the torso, bodies, large triangular Insect wing, wings, and a proboscis for siphoning nectars. The scales are modified, flattened "hairs", and give butterflies and moths their wide variety of colors and patterns. Almost all species have some form of membranous wings, except for a few that have reduced wings or are wingless. Mating and the laying of eggs is normally performe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bulbus Glandis
The bulbus glandis (also called a bulb or knot) is an erectile tissue structure on the penis of canid mammals. During mating, immediately before ejaculation the tissues swell up to lock ('' tie'') the male's penis inside the female. The locking is completed by circular muscles just inside the female's vagina; this is called "the knot" tightening thus preventing the male from withdrawing. The circular muscles also contract intermittently, which has the effect of stimulating ejaculation of sperm, followed by prostatic fluid, as well as maintaining the swelling of the penis and therefore the tie, for some time. For domestic dogs the tie may last up to half an hour or more, though usually less. When male canines are sexually excited, the bulbus glandis may swell up inside the penile sheath, even if the dog has been neutered. The bulbus glandis also occurs in the penises of some pinnipeds, including South American fur seals. See also * Canine reproduction Canine reproduction is t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cetacean
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel themselves through the water with powerful up-and-down movements of their tail, which ends in a paddle-like fluke, using their flipper-shaped forelimbs to steer. While the majority of cetaceans live in marine environments, a small number reside solely in brackish water, brackish or fresh water. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of Earth's oceans, and many species migrate throughout vast ranges with the changing of the seasons. Cetaceans are famous for cetacean intelligence, their high intelligence, complex social behaviour, and the enormous size of some of the group's members. For example, the blue whale reaches a maximum confirmed length of and a weight of 173 tonne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis
The red-sided garter snake (''Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis'') is a subspecies of the common garter snake, in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. This slender subspecies of natricine snake is indigenous to North America and is one of the recognized subspecies of ''Thamnophis sirtalis''. This subspecies is widely spread across northern United States and southern Canada. Appearance The red-sided garter snakes have an upper row of well-defined red spots, and lower row with patches of red color that smear on the dark area on either side of their back. These snakes have multiple yellow stripes present on their body. ''Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis'' is Sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic, where females are usually larger than males. The females can range from 18 to 24 inches in length, whereas males can grow up to 12 to 18 inches. The snakes of this subspecies are mainly non-venomous. Phenology and habitat use Winter temperatures near their habitat are very h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leucauge Mariana
''Leucauge mariana'' is a long-jawed orb weaver spider, native to Central America and South America. Its web building and sexual behavior have been studied extensively. Males perform several kinds of courtship behavior to induce females to copulate and to use their sperm. A particularly unusual feature of sex in ''L. mariana'' is the formation of mating plugs during copulation. These masses sometimes block the access of subsequent males to the female’s genitalia and can prevent copulations. Unlike other species, ''L. mariana'' forms the mating plug from materials contributed by both the female and the male; the male alone cannot make a functional plug. Most mating plugs in other animals are typically viewed as a male tactic used to increase his chances of paternity, without participation of the female. Female participation in creating a mating plugs, and her presumed benefit from them, have led to multiple studies of sexual selection on the sexual behavior of ''L. mariana''. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophila Mettleri
''Drosophila metlerri'', commonly known as the Sonoran Desert fly, is a fly in the genus ''Drosophila''. The species is found in North America and is most concentrated along the southern coast of California and in Mexico. ''D. mettleri'' are dependent on plant hosts, namely, the saguaro and Pachycereus pringlei, cardon cacti. Thus, they are most prevalent in arid, desert conditions. It is able to detoxify chemicals found in the rotting liquid of cacti hosts, which allows it to use otherwise lethal soil as a nesting site. ''D. mettleri'' was discovered in San Felipe, Baja California in October 1961 during an experiment where banana was used to attract several species of ''Drosophila''. Due to physical geographic barriers between Sonoran Desert flies, gene flow explains speciation. It breeds in soil moistened by liquid excreted by rotting cacti and on necrotic patches. The liquid found in rotting cacti patches serves as a nutrient source for ''D. mettleri'' larvae, despite it cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plebeia Remota
''Plebeia remota'' is a species of stingless bee that is in the family Apidae and tribe Stingless bee, Meliponini. Bees of the species are normally found in a few states in southern Brazil and their nests can be found in tree cavities. Depending on the region, ''P. remota'' may have a different morphology and exhibit different behaviors. The bee's diet consists of nectar and pollen that are collected intensely from a few sources. Researchers have conducted a multitude of studies analyzing the changes that occur in the colony during reproductive diapause and what happens during the provisioning and oviposition process or POP. Taxonomy and phylogeny ''P. remota'' is a member of the order Hymenoptera, which is the insect order comprising bees, wasps and ants. Within Hymenoptera, it belongs to the family Apidae. This bee belongs in the tribe Stingless bee, Meliponini. The greatest number of Meliponini species reside in the Neotropics where there are about 420 species known. Within the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stingless Bee
Stingless bees (SB), sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees (from about 462 to 552 described species), comprising the Tribe (biology), tribe Meliponini (or subtribe Meliponina according to other authors). They belong in the Family (biology), family Apidae (subfamily Apinae), and are closely related to common honey bees (HB, tribe Apini), orchid bees (tribe Euglossini), and bumblebees (tribe Bombini). These four bee tribes belong to the Pollen basket, corbiculate bees Monophyly, monophyletic group. Meliponines have stingers, but they are highly reduced and cannot be used for defense, though these bees exhibit other defensive behaviors and mechanisms. Meliponines are not the only type of bee incapable of stinging: all male bees and many female bees of several other families, such as Andrenidae and Megachilidae (tribe Dioxyini), also cannot sting. Some stingless bees have powerful mandibles and can inflict painful bites. Some species ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parnassius Smintheus
''Parnassius smintheus'', the Rocky Mountain parnassianJim P. Brock and K. Kaufman. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin, 2003. or Rocky Mountain apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly found in the Rocky Mountains throughout the United States and Canada. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (''Parnassius'') of the swallowtail family (''Papilionidae''). The butterfly ranges in color from white to pale yellow-brown, with red and black markings that indicate to predators it is unpalatable. ''Parnassius smintheus'' primarily feeds on the leaves of the '' Sedum lanceolatum'' plant as larvae and on its nectar as adults. The butterfly tends to reside in meadows and avoids forests, because it strongly prefers light. The males of this species fly from meadow to meadow frequently to find females and food resources, whereas females are more likely to avoid flying. The males seem to have mate choice in this species, as they emerge from the pupae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anaphrodisiac
An anaphrodisiac (also antaphrodisiac or antiaphrodisiac) is a substance that quells or blunts the libido. It is the opposite of an aphrodisiac, something that enhances sexual appetite. The word ''anaphrodisiac'' comes from the Greek privative prefix ἀν-, denoting negation, and '' aphrodisiac'', from the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. Some people use anaphrodisiacs in order to curb a very high libido or due to hypersexuality. However anaphrodisiacs are also used by those with an average libido, at times due to having incessant schedules. Available anaphrodisiacs classes of substances Some common anaphrodisiacs are ethanol (alcohol) and tobacco, but this is typically an unintended consequence and not often the main reason for use. While alcohol is used socially because it initially reduces mental inhibitions, studies have shown that over time alcohol physically decreases arousal and makes achieving climax more difficult. For this reason, alcohol is considered an anaphr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spermatophore
A spermatophore, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (''spérma''), meaning "seed", and -φόρος (''-phóros''), meaning "bearing", or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass containing spermatozoa created by males of various animal species, especially salamanders and arthropods, and transferred in entirety to the female's ovipore during reproduction. Spermatophores may additionally contain nourishment for the female, in which case it is called a nuptial gift, as in the instance of bush crickets. In the case of the toxic moth '' Utetheisa ornatrix'', the spermatophore includes sperm, nutrients, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids which prevent predation because it is poisonous to most organisms. However, in some species such as the Edith's checkerspot butterfly, the "gift" provides little nutrient value. The weight of the spermatophore transferred at mating has little effect on female reproductive output. Arthropods Spermatophores are the norm in arachnid Arachnids are arthro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
