Brazilian Insect Genus Has Reversed Sex Organs

Scientists have documented a new genus of insect in which the 4 species that comprise it have reversed sex organs.

Scientists have documented a new genus of insect in which the 4 species that comprise it have reversed sex organs.

In other words, the females have penises and the males have vaginas.

The discovery came about in two phases – the study of dead specimens and the observations of live ones.

Dissecting deceased examples of the insects revealed the unique distribution of sex organs.

The female’s internal genitalia extends during copulation, and the male has a pouch like vagina housing a sperm duct.

Like a straw, the female uses her organ to receive the sperm, not disperse it.

Observations of the actual mating process showed that the insects spend quite a lot of time copulating.

This surprised scientists, as it makes the insects frequently vulnerable to predators.

Frequent mating does hold a distinct advantage for the females, however.

The males’ sperm also provides a significant amount of nutrition.

The researchers feel this could be a large motivating factor for the frequency of encounters.

It could also be why that once the female starts, she’s reluctant to let go.

Once mating has begun, attempts to break the female’s grasp can result in a loss of body parts for the male.