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Module by: Mimus Polyglottus. E-mail the author

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Name: Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids
ID: m34756
Language: English (en)
Summary: Cimicids belong to a hematophagous taxon that feeds primarily on the blood of humans, birds and bats. Their best known member is the bed bug, Cimex lectularius, which parasitizes humans. In bed bugs and other cimicids, a bizarre form of mating behavior called traumatic insemination takes place in which males pierce females through the abdominal region and inseminate directly into the body cavity. This mating practice is thought to have evolved due to differences in the evolutionary interests of the two sexes, in which fitness does not increase with the number of matings in females, but does increase in males. A variety of hypotheses have arisen to explain the evolution of traumatic insemination, including bypassing the mating plug and overcoming female resistance during mating, which would be reproductively advantageous to males. Regardless of its evolutionary origin, traumatic insemination has been shown to propel male and female coevolution. In the case of the bed bug, females have evolved a spermalege, an organ that serves as a counter-adaptation to the damage caused by the males’ intromittent organs that deliver sperm during copulation. These observations have led scientists to regard cimicids, C. lectularius in particular, as ideal model systems for examining the causes and consequences of sexual selection.
Subject: Science and Technology
Keywords: bed bug, cimex lectularius, coevolutionary arms race, reproductive behavior, sexual conflict, traumatic insemination
License: Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 3.0
Authors: Mimus Polyglottus (Mockingbird.tales@gmail.com)
Copyright Holders: Mimus Polyglottus (Mockingbird.tales@gmail.com)
Maintainers: Mimus Polyglottus (Mockingbird.tales@gmail.com), Jared Adler (jca2@rice.edu), Daniel Williamson (dcwill@cnx.org), Joan Strassmann (tracye@rice.edu)
Latest version: 1.3 (history)
First publication date: Jul 1, 2010 3:27 pm -0500
Last revision to module: Jul 15, 2010 1:32 pm -0500

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Version History

Version: 1.3 Jul 15, 2010 1:32 pm -0500 by Daniel Williamson
Changes: 
structure update
Version: 1.2 Jul 12, 2010 4:34 pm -0500 by Daniel Williamson
Changes: 
google analytics
Version: 1.1 Jul 9, 2010 4:54 pm -0500 by Daniel Williamson
Changes: 
initial publish

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American Chemical Society (ACS) Style Guide:

Polyglottus, M. Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids, Connexions Web site. http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/, Jul 15, 2010.

American Medical Assocation (AMA) Manual of Style:

Polyglottus M. Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids [Connexions Web site]. July 15, 2010. Available at: http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/.

American Psychological Assocation (APA) Publication Manual:

Polyglottus, M. (2010, July 15). Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids. Retrieved from the Connexions Web site: http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/

Chicago Manual of Style (Bibliography):

Polyglottus, Mimus. "Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids." Connexions. July 15, 2010. http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/.

Chicago Manual of Style (Note):

Mimus Polyglottus, "Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids," Connexions, July 15, 2010, http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/.

Chicago Manual of Style (Reference, in Author-Date style):

Polyglottus, M. 2010. Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids. Connexions, July 15, 2010. http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/.

Modern Languages Association (MLA) Style Manual:

Polyglottus, Mimus. Violent Mating: Traumatic Insemination in Bed Bugs and other Cimicids. Connexions. 15 July 2010 <http://cnx.org/content/m34756/1.3/>.