Male black widows are sexual cannibals, too

Monday, May 6, 2013 - 14:31 in Psychology & Sociology

By Megan GannonLiveScienceBlack widow spiders get their names from the belief that the female devours her partner after sex. But this gruesome ritual doesn't always happen after mating and sometimes, the roles are even reversed, researchers say.For choosy female black widows, sexual cannibalism is an extreme way to assert their partner preference, with less desirable males more likely to be chased...    

Read the whole article on MSNBC: Science

More from MSNBC: Science

Learn more about

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net