Male spiders lose penis during sex to protect their love from rivals

London, June 14 (ANI): A species of male spider adopts an evolutionary trick and leaves its penis plugged into female's genitals when it has sex to stop other men impregnating it.

Moreover, the male nephilengys malabarensis spider, which then tries to defend his female against other spiders hoping to have a chance, can fight as a much stronger warrior without the extra weight of the sexual organs.

"Prior work has demonstrated that eunuch spiders are superior fighters, we here pinpoint a mechanism that enables eunuch's greater endurance," the researcher team said.

'Our present results imply that palp weight poses significant physical costs to males.'

However, up to 75 per cent of the spiders do not even get to this stage, as their partner eats them.

But if they do survive, and find themselves without one or both of their palps - their equivalent of a penis - they will protect their would-be eater, and have benefit without the burden of their privates.

According to MSNBC, the researchers tested this by amputating either one or both palps from spiders, and exhausting them by prodding them until they stopped moving, the Daily Mail reported.

The researchers found that removing one palp reduced the spider's body weight by y per cent, and removing both reduced it to nine per cent. But their stamina increased by 32 per cent and 80 per cent respectively.

The researchers believe that the spiders fight more without their palps because they have 'nothing to live for' other than protecting potential offspring - and without the drag of their privates, they could fight for longer.

This study will be published in Biology Letters. (ANI)

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