Nuptial-gifts
Guides
Ellychnia corrusca
winter firefly
Ellychnia corrusca, commonly known as the winter firefly, is a diurnal beetle in the family Lampyridae that lacks bioluminescent organs as an adult. Adults are active during winter and early spring, overwintering on tree bark before mating in March through May. The species exhibits an unusual life cycle timing that separates its activity from nocturnal firefly predators. It is notable for its association with maple syrup production, where adults frequently enter sap collection buckets.
Empidinae
dance flies
Empidinae, commonly called dance flies, are a subfamily of predatory empidoid flies. Males of many species form mating swarms near visual markers, often presenting captured prey to females as nuptial gifts during courtship. The subfamily exhibits diverse mating systems, including lek polygyny and sex-role reversal where females swarm and males choose mates. Many species are effective pollinators of flowering plants, particularly in alpine and subalpine ecosystems where they can achieve pollination effectiveness comparable to honeybees.
Pisauridae
Nursery Web Spiders, Fishing Spiders
Pisauridae is a moderately diverse family of hunting spiders comprising approximately 333 described species worldwide. Members exhibit exceptional behavioral diversity, ranging from web-based hunters and water surface hunters to ambush hunters in vegetation. The family is best known for the distinctive 'nursery web' behavior: females carry egg sacs with their jaws and pedipalps (not spinnerets), then construct protective silk tents for emerging spiderlings, which they guard until dispersal. The European species Pisaura mirabilis is the namesake 'nursery web spider,' though the family includes fishing spiders (Dolomedes), semi-aquatic specialists, and strictly terrestrial forms.
Rhamphomyia
dance flies
Rhamphomyia is a large genus of dance flies (Empididae) comprising over 600 species arranged in 8 subgenera. The genus exhibits remarkable diversity in mating systems, including sex-role reversal where females compete for mates and males provide nuptial gifts. Several species display elaborate visual ornaments used in courtship, such as inflatable abdominal sacs and modified leg scales. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with particular diversity in the Holarctic region, including specialized radiations in arctic tundra environments.
Rhamphomyia longicauda
Long-tailed Dance Fly
Rhamphomyia longicauda is a dance fly species renowned for its exceptional sex-role reversal in mating behavior. Females form aerial leks at dawn and dusk, displaying inflated abdominal sacs and ornamental leg scales to attract males, who are the choosy sex. Females are obligate recipients of nuptial gifts—prey items captured by males—because they cannot hunt for themselves. This nutritional dependence drives the reversal of typical courtship roles. The species has been extensively studied as a model for sexual selection and the evolution of female ornamentation.
Utetheisa ornatrix
Ornate Bella Moth, Bella Moth, Rattlebox Moth, Ornate Moth
Utetheisa ornatrix is a diurnal moth distinguished by its aposematic coloration ranging from pink, red, orange, and yellow to white with black markings. The species has a wingspan of 33–46 mm and is found from the southeastern United States through Central America to South America. Larvae specialize on Crotalaria species (Fabaceae), sequestering toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids that render them unpalatable to predators. The species exhibits complex mating behavior including female polyandry, nuptial gift transfer, and pheromone-mediated mate choice.