5 replies to this topic

[Dave]

I have nothing to add to this.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orchids that mimic female wasps may not only waste the time of the male wasps they lure into spreading their pollen -- they also seduce them into wasting valuable sperm, Australian researchers reported on Wednesday.

Some of the most exotic orchids are known to have evolved their convoluted shapes to attract insects, who unwittingly collect and transfer pollen as they try to mate with the flowers.

It is not harmless to the wasps, who may suffer more than an inconvenience. "Male pollinators can prefer orchids to real females, prematurely end a copulation with a real female to visit an orchid, or be unable to find real female mates among false orchid signals," the researchers wrote.

"Unquestionably, producing sperm, ejaculate, or seminal fluids is costly for many animals. The energetic demands of sperm production can result in reduced body mass, a shortened life span, or limited lifetime sperm production," they added.

But this arms race of sexual trickery works in more than one way for the flower. "We also show that orchid species provoking such extreme pollinator behavior have the highest pollination success," they added.

"How can deception persist, given the costs to pollinators?"

They found that the wasps who frequent these flowers are haplodiploid species. Like bees, ants and similar species, offspring produced by sexual unions are female, while females can also produce males asexually.

"Therefore, female insects deprived of matings by orchid deception could still produce male offspring, which may even enhance orchid pollination," the researchers wrote.

[Deb]

Leave it to Australia to conduct a totally useless experiment.

Seriously, no one is going to care about this unless they're into orchids, wasps or weird sex.

"the" Chad???

[Chad]

Leave it to Australia to conduct a totally useless experiment.

Seriously, no one is going to care about this unless they're into orchids, wasps or weird sex.

"the" Chad???

At this point there isn't much I wouldn't fuck. I think my virginity has grown back. This is no good ....

[Deb]

I hear it takes 7 years, but I'm not too sure if that applies to males as well.

I got over halfway there when I didn't have sex for 5 years

[Chad]

I got over halfway there when I didn't have sex for 5 years

I would have made a house call.

[Deb]

NOW you offer...