Which female species kill the male after mating? Nature’s most unusual behaviour explained

Many bizarre survival mechanisms exist in nature, and one of the most bizarre is sexual cannibalism: a behaviour pattern in which females kill and sometimes consume their partners following copulation. It sounds cruel to people; however, studies suggest that this peculiar action benefits the female by providing nourishment or increasing her chance of reproduction and offspring survival. Some animals are recognized for engaging in sexual cannibalism.

(Photos from Shutterstock)

There are some types of Jumping Spiders that practise cannibalism. It has been observed that in these spiders, females are bigger and more aggressive compared to males. If the male fails to impress the female through courting gestures, he can become her dinner rather than a mate.

The praying mantis is among the creatures that exhibit sexual cannibalism in the wild. In some praying mantises, the female consumes her partner following copulation. The nutrients obtained from the consumption of her partner aid in increasing the quality of her eggs, according to studies. In addition, male praying mantises can mate successfully regardless of their condition owing to their nervous system.

As researchers have found out, there could be a number of explanations regarding the above phenomenon from a biological point of view. It turns out that in many species, the cannibalism of the male is important because females gain more energy from him, which results in healthier offspring. In other words, this kind of act is associated with survival and evolution.

In some Scorpions, there are instances of the females turning against the males after the mating process. Even though such cannibalism among scorpions is rare compared to spiders or mantises, scientists state that environmental pressure could bring out the cannibalistic nature in scorpions.

The other notable species that fall under this category is the Black Widow Spider. The spider got its name due to the fact that sometimes the female spiders tend to kill their male counterparts after the reproductive process. This is because the females are much bigger compared to their male counterparts and therefore tend to eat the males for nutrition.

A member of the widow spider family, female redbacks have been noted for their sexual cannibalism. Under certain circumstances, a male spider actually exposes itself to being eaten by the female after the mating process. According to studies, this behaviour helps to increase the chance of fertilisation.