Nuptial-gift
Guides
Amblycorypha
Round-headed Katydids, False Katydids, Bush-crickets
Amblycorypha is a genus of North American round-headed katydids in the family Tettigoniidae, containing approximately 14 described species. These insects are renowned for their exceptional leaf-mimicry, with wing venation closely matching the vein patterns of leaves. They are known for their acoustic communication, with males producing songs via stridulation to attract females. Some species reach prodigious sizes in tropical regions, and males provide nuptial gifts to females during mating.
Amblycorypha huasteca
Texas false katydid
Amblycorypha huasteca, commonly known as the Texas false katydid, is a species of bush-cricket in the family Tettigoniidae. It belongs to the round-headed katydid genus Amblycorypha, a group renowned for exceptional leaf-mimicry. The species occurs in the south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. Like other Amblycorypha, it produces species-specific songs through stridulation of forewing structures to attract mates.
Amblycorypha parvipennis
Western Round-winged Katydid
Amblycorypha parvipennis, the western round-winged katydid, is a phaneropterine katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is found in North America, with confirmed records from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri. Males produce calling songs for acoustic communication, a key feature of their mating behavior. The species exhibits typical katydid traits including leaf-mimicking wing venation and sound production via forewing stridulation.
Amblycorypha uhleri
Uhler's virtuoso katydid, Uhler's katydid
Amblycorypha uhleri, commonly known as Uhler's virtuoso katydid or Uhler's katydid, is a species of phaneropterine katydid in the family Tettigoniidae. It is a North American species known for its distinctive song produced by stridulation of the forewings. Like other members of the genus Amblycorypha, it exhibits remarkable leaf-mimicry through wing venation patterns and green coloration, serving as camouflage against predators.
Anabrus simplex
Mormon Cricket
Anabrus simplex, commonly known as the Mormon cricket, is a large flightless shieldbacked katydid (family Tettigoniidae, subfamily Decticinae) native to western North America. Despite its common name, it is not a true cricket. The species is notable for its periodic outbreak populations that form large migratory bands, causing significant damage to rangeland forage and cultivated crops. It exhibits a sex-role reversed mating system where males provide nuptial gifts and females compete for mates. The species has been documented from low-elevation sagebrush steppe to alpine tundra above 11,000 feet.
Argyrodes elevatus
dew-drop spider, American Dewdrop Spider
Argyrodes elevatus is a kleptoparasitic spider in the family Theridiidae that steals food from the webs of other spiders rather than building its own. Adults measure 4–7 mm in length, with males smaller than females. The species exhibits specialized adaptations for stealth, including vibrational detection of host activity, rapid prey theft completed in under 12 seconds, and nocturnal activity patterns that oppose those of diurnal host species. Courtship involves males presenting silk-wrapped prey as nuptial gifts to females.
Bittacidae
Hangingflies, Hanging scorpionflies
Bittacidae is a family of scorpionflies commonly known as hangingflies or hanging scorpionflies. Adults are characterized by their distinctive hanging posture, grasping vegetation with their forelegs while using their raptorial hindlegs to capture prey. The family exhibits notable sexual behavior including nuptial prey gift exchange, where males present captured prey to females during courtship. Bittacidae has a cosmopolitan distribution with significant diversity in Australia, where the genus Harpobittacus represents the largest radiation. The family has been subject to extensive taxonomic study, particularly in the Afrotropics where Dr. Jason Londt described more species than any other author.
Bittacus stigmaterus
Say's Hanging-fly
Bittacus stigmaterus is a North American hangingfly in the family Bittacidae, commonly known as Say's Hanging-fly. The species exhibits elaborate courtship behavior in which males capture arthropod prey and present them to females as nuptial gifts. Females exercise mate choice based on prey size, with larger gifts increasing male mating success. Males also engage in kleptoparasitism, stealing prey gifts from rival males.
Empis
dance fly
Empis is a genus of dance flies in the family Empididae, established by Linnaeus in 1758. The genus contains numerous species across several subgenera, including Enolempis. Males of some species exhibit distinctive morphological modifications, such as enlarged teeth on the hind leg femora, which are sexually dimorphic and not present in females. The genus is notable for complex mating behaviors including swarming and nuptial gift exchange.
Gryllodes
decorated crickets, tropical house crickets
Gryllodes is a genus of crickets in the family Gryllidae, tribe Modicogryllini. The genus contains at least three described species, with Gryllodes sigillatus being the most widely known and economically significant. This species, commonly called the tropical house cricket or decorated cricket, has a cosmopolitan distribution associated with human habitation and is extensively cultured for pet food and human consumption. The genus is notable for its specialized mating behavior involving nuptial gifts.
Harmonia dimidiata
Greater Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia dimidiata is a medium to large predaceous ladybird beetle (7.4–10 mm) native to southern Asia with introduced populations in North America. Adults display reddish-yellow elytra with black markings in a thirteen-spot pattern. The species is a voracious aphid predator with documented prey including Rhopalosiphum maidis, Aphis gossypii, Myzus persicae, and Aphis pomi. Temperature strongly influences its development, fecundity, and predatory capacity, with optimal performance at 24°C. Males produce yellow reflex blood containing harmonine as both chemical defense and nuptial gift during courtship.
Leiobunum
harvestmen, daddy long-legs
Leiobunum is a genus of harvestmen (order Opiliones, family Sclerosomatidae) comprising over 100 described species. Members are characterized by exceptionally long legs relative to body size, with the second pair serving as sensory appendages rather than locomotory structures. The genus exhibits pronounced gregarious behavior, with many species forming dense aggregations on vertical surfaces. Leiobunum species are found across North America, Europe, and Asia, with some populations demonstrating rapid invasive spread in Europe.
Mecoptera
Scorpionflies, Hangingflies, Snow scorpionflies
Mecoptera is a small order of holometabolous insects comprising approximately 600 extant species in nine families worldwide. The group includes scorpionflies (Panorpidae), hangingflies (Bittacidae), and snow scorpionflies (Boreidae). Males of the largest family, Panorpidae, possess enlarged genital structures that resemble scorpion stingers, giving the group its common name. The order exhibits close phylogenetic relationships with Siphonaptera (fleas) and Diptera (true flies), with some studies suggesting fleas may be derived from within Mecoptera, rendering the order potentially paraphyletic. Modern mecopterans are primarily found in moist environments, though the Boreidae are adapted to cold montane regions where adults walk on snowfields.
Oecanthus nigricornis
black-horned tree cricket, common tree cricket
Oecanthus nigricornis, commonly known as the black-horned tree cricket, is a species of tree cricket in the subfamily Oecanthinae found across North America. Males produce a distinctive courtship song using modified forewings and offer nutritional glandular secretions from a metanotal gland as nuptial gifts during mating. The species has been documented as a host for the parasitoid fly Stylogaster neglecta, with juvenile parasitism rates varying considerably across its range.
Orchelimum erythrocephalum
Red-headed Meadow Katydid
Orchelimum erythrocephalum is a North American katydid species in the meadow katydid genus Orchelimum. The common name refers to its distinctive red head coloration. Like other Orchelimum species, it inhabits grasslands and wetland edges where it feeds on both plant material and small insects. The species was described by entomologist William T. Davis in 1905.
Panorpa
scorpionflies, common scorpionflies
Panorpa is the largest and most widespread genus of scorpionflies (family Panorpidae), comprising approximately 260 described species as of 2018. These insects are characterized by the male's enlarged, scorpion-like genital claspers that curl upward at the abdomen tip. The genus is primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with notable absence from western North America. Both larvae and adults are scavengers that feed on dead or dying arthropods, playing important roles in nutrient cycling and forensic entomology. Several species, particularly P. vulgaris and P. nuptialis, have become model organisms for studying sexual selection and nuptial gift behavior.
Photinus consimilis
Cattail Flash-train Firefly
Photinus consimilis, commonly known as the cattail flash-train firefly, is a medium-sized firefly species in the beetle family Lampyridae. It is native to eastern North America, where it inhabits wetlands and riparian areas. The species is recognized by its distinctive flash pattern of 3 to 9 quick pulses in a series lasting about 2 seconds, with 9 to 12 seconds of darkness between flash trains. Its specific epithet 'consimilis' refers to its morphological similarity to closely related Photinus species.
Photinus ignitus
Ignited Firefly
Photinus ignitus is a North American firefly species distinguished by its bioluminescent courtship displays. Males produce characteristic flash patterns to attract females, who respond from perches in vegetation. Research has documented seasonal plasticity in female mate choice behavior, with females becoming less selective as the breeding season progresses. Like other Photinus species, it produces defensive compounds called lucibufagins that protect against predators.
fireflybioluminescencemate-choiceseasonal-plasticitynuptial-giftaggressive-mimicryLampyridaeColeopteraNorth-Americaflash-communicationlucibufaginsexual-selectionoperational-sex-ratiocold-lightphotocytesluciferinluciferasenocturnalcourtshippredation-defenseinsect-declinelight-pollutionhabitat-lossinsecticide-exposuresoil-dwelling-larvaeglowwormpredatory-larvaesoft-bodied-preysnailsslugswormssoil-insectsbiological-controlflash-patternfemale-choicemale-choicebody-sizelantern-sizereproductive-investmentegg-provisioningspermatophoreflash-signalmating-successselectivitybreeding-seasondusknightvegetationgrasslawnsforestsfieldsedgescanopyairspaceColumbia-MarylandWashington-Baltimore-areaUniversity-of-Virginia-studylight-pollution-impactmating-disruptionurbanizationresidual-insecticideslawn-treatmentweather-cyclesfood-availabilitylarval-predationpopulation-fluctuationbanner-yearspectacleJuly-4thIndependence-DayMother-Nature's-fireworkspyrotechnictwinklinggalaxycold-light-efficiencyno-heat-productionphotocyte-cellsspecialized-light-organterminal-abdominal-segmentslightly-coloredgiant-eyesflash-detectionvisual-acuitynocturnal-visionchemical-ecologydefensive-chemistrysteroidal-pyronestoad-toxinsspider-repellentbird-repellentfemme-fatalepredatory-exploitationchemical-acquisitiondefense-sequestrationnuptial-feedingreproductive-successsexual-conflictflash-manipulationphotographic-challengeflash-rechargefemale-contortionflash-directionalityaimed-signalmale-expendabilityfemale-investmentoffspring-productionbattery-lifeconservation-concernpopulation-monitoringcitizen-scienceBoston-Museum-of-Sciencefirefly-data-projectAllegheny-National-Forestsynchronous-firefliesPhotinus-carolinusPhoturis-pennsylvanicaPennsylvania-Firefly-FestivalFIRE-TeamLynn-FaustSara-LewisThomas-EisnerAerial-FirebaughKyle-Hayneschemical-ecology-pioneerexperimental-studyfield-observationnatural-historybehavioral-ecologyethologyjournal-articlepeer-reviewed-researchscientific-investigationinsect-conservationnocturnal-insectbeetlesoft-winged-beetlenot-true-bugnot-flyElateroideaPolyphagaElateriformiaLampyrinaeLucidotiniaccepted-nameFall-192736-observationsiNaturalistGBIFCatalogue-of-LifeNCBIWikipediaBug-of-the-WeekEntomology-Todayincomplete-informationdata-limitedresearch-opportunityfurther-study-neededPhotinus macdermotti
Father Mac's firefly, Mr. Mac
Photinus macdermotti is a medium-sized firefly species in the beetle family Lampyridae, native to eastern North America. Adults measure approximately 10 mm in length and are distinguished by a pale yellow pronotum with a black rectangular central mark bordered by red or pink. Males produce a characteristic flash pattern of two quick pulses separated by 2 seconds of darkness to attract females. The species is nearly identical in appearance to Photinus consanguineus and Photinus greeni, requiring careful identification.
Photinus scintillans
Pale Firefly
Photinus scintillans is a species of firefly in the family Lampyridae, commonly known as the Pale Firefly. Like other Photinus species, adults produce bioluminescent signals through a chemical reaction involving luciferin and luciferase. Males fly and emit characteristic flash patterns to attract females, which remain stationary in vegetation and respond with their own signals. The species is subject to predation by Photuris fireflies, which mimic their flash patterns to lure and consume males.
Photinus tenuicinctus
thinly-girdled firefly, Ozark spark
Photinus tenuicinctus is a firefly species endemic to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Adults measure 8.5–11.5 mm in length. Males are fully winged and capable of flight, while females are brachypterous and flightless. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in both morphology and bioluminescent signaling.
Rhamphomyia brevis
Rhamphomyia brevis is a species of dance fly in the family Empididae, first described by Hermann Loew in 1861. The species is placed in the subgenus Pararhamphomyia within the genus Rhamphomyia. Dance flies in this family are characterized by complex mating behaviors involving nuptial gifts, though specific details for this species remain limited in published literature.
Rhamphomyia nana
Rhamphomyia nana is a species of dance fly in the family Empididae, first described by Loew in 1861. The species is currently accepted as valid, though it has been treated as a synonym in some taxonomic works. As a member of the genus Rhamphomyia, it belongs to a group known for complex courtship behaviors involving nuptial gifts.
Rhamphomyia vittata
Rhamphomyia vittata is a species of dance fly in the family Empididae, described by Loew in 1862. It belongs to the large genus Rhamphomyia, which contains many species known for their distinctive courtship behaviors involving nuptial gifts. Like other members of this genus, males likely present food gifts to females during mating. The species is part of the subgenus Pararhamphomyia.
Tettigoniidae
katydids, bush crickets, long-horned grasshoppers
Tettigoniidae is a large family of orthopteran insects containing over 8,000 described species, commonly known as katydids in North America and bush crickets in the United Kingdom. The family is the only extant member of the superfamily Tettigonioidea within the suborder Ensifera. Members are characterized by extremely long, thread-like antennae that often exceed body length, distinguishing them from true grasshoppers. The family exhibits remarkable diversity in size, ranging from 5 mm to 130 mm, and occupies varied habitats from tropical rainforests to temperate grasslands across all continents except Antarctica.
Theridiosoma
ray spiders
Theridiosoma is a genus of ray spiders (family Theridiosomatidae) first described by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge in 1879. These small spiders, measuring 0.5–2.5 mm in body length, are renowned for their unique hunting behavior: they construct specialized webs that function as high-speed slingshots to actively capture prey. The genus contains approximately 33 species distributed globally, with records from North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Africa, Oceania, and the Caribbean.
Theridiosoma gemmosum
Common Eastern Ray Spider, Ray Spider
A small Holarctic ray spider distinguished by its unique conical orb web. Females measure 2–3 mm, males 1.5–2 mm. The species constructs a specialized web held under tension by the spider, which is released to snap forward and capture flying prey. Mating involves successive copulations with males providing silk draglines that females ingest as nuptial gifts between copulations.