SSS 2012-01-31（在线收听）

 To a female orb web spider, a suitable male can look like a mate and meal. For these spiders, the dating game has turned into a deadly dance of evolutionary one. the female spiders can choose when to cut off their relations by eating her partner or kicking him out. The males do unlikely strategy to make sure they have some say in the matter: self-castration.  Males are able to leave part or all of their organ inside of a female, which decreases the odds the femal will be able to mate again. But new research shows that when a male leaves his whole , his likelyhood of fathering the next batch of eggs is much higher. Why? His parting gift keeps on giving even after he is gone. This remote copulation technique actually boosts the amount and speed of sperm transfered to the female. The behavior is described in the journal biology letters. So for these unlucky fellows, it is better to have loved and lost.