Abstract
Intrasexual mounting is performed by males and females of many taxa1, and female–female mounting occurs in insects, lizards, birds and mammals1,2. Although the adoption by females of other male-like characters, such as mimicry of male colour patterns3,4,5, is known to be advantageous, the benefits of female–female mounting have remained mysterious. Here we describe a pattern of female–female mounting in the beetle Diaprepes abbreviatus (Curculionidae) and demonstrate that it conveys a possible evolutionary advantage by providing a greater opportunity for the females to mate with larger males. This explanation may also apply to female intrasexual mounting in several other insect species.
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Harari, A., Brockmann, H. Male beetles attracted by females mounting. Nature 401, 762–763 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/44515
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/44515
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