Alternative-mating-tactics
Guides
Aleochara curtula
Shortened Minute Rove Beetle
Aleochara curtula is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, distributed across the Palearctic region and introduced to North America. Adults measure approximately 7 mm in length with distinctive two-toned elytra and brush-like antennae. The species exhibits complex sexual behaviors including male-male aggression, female mimicry through pheromone production, and active female mate choice. Larvae are ectoparasitoids of fly pupae, developing within carrion habitats.
Bembecinus
sand wasp, sand wasps
Bembecinus is a cosmopolitan genus of sand wasps in the family Crabronidae, with approximately 200 described species worldwide. These small to medium-sized wasps are known for their distinctive eye morphology—strongly convergent at the bottom of the face and strongly divergent at the top of the head—and for practicing progressive provisioning of their larvae. Females construct burrows in sandy substrates and hunt leafhoppers to feed their offspring, while males exhibit complex alternative mating tactics including digging for pre-emergent females and patrolling for mates.
Gnatocerus cornutus
Broadhorned Flour Beetle, Broad-horned Flour Beetle
Gnatocerus cornutus is a globally distributed stored-product pest in the darkling beetle family Tenebrionidae. Males possess enlarged mandibles used as weapons in intrasexual combat, representing a well-studied model for sexual selection and condition-dependent trait expression. The species exhibits striking sexual dimorphism and intra-sexual dimorphism in males, with weapon size strongly influenced by larval nutrition.
Gryllus integer
Western Trilling Cricket
Gryllus integer, the western trilling cricket, is a field cricket species distinguished by its nearly continuous trilling song rather than discrete chirps. It occurs in the western United States, where males produce species-specific calling songs to attract females. The species has been extensively studied for its behavioral ecology, including alternative mating tactics, personality traits, and antipredator responses. Populations show geographic variation in song structure, with some California males producing chirped songs rather than continuous trills.
Rabidosa punctulata
Dotted Wolf Spider
Rabidosa punctulata is a ground-dwelling wolf spider distributed across the eastern and central United States. Mature females average 15.2 mm in body length, males 12.8 mm. The species exhibits distinctive alternative male mating tactics: complex multimodal courtship displays with substrate-borne vibrations and visual leg waves toward unmated females, versus direct coercive mounting with grappling toward already-mated females. Females carry egg sacs attached to their spinnerets and provide extended maternal care, with spiderlings riding on the mother's abdomen for approximately three weeks after emergence.