Plant Answers  >  Stinkbugs, Mating and young ones

Stinkbugs, Mating and young ones

 
These are leaf-footed bugs (stinkbugs) copulating (mating) on a Hidalgo Serrano pepper — can you tell which is the male?

Richard R. Thomas can tell the difference--he writes:
    "The female is larger because she is the one who has to produce and hold the eggs until they are laid. Since insects have a limited ability to expand during pregnancy due to their exoskeleton, a large female is advantageous, where there is no such need in the male. This is a fairly common dimorphism in insects since the male is rarely involved in physical battles with other males over mates, as is the case with many vertebrates where the male is commonly the larger of the sexes."
 
These are the results of stinkbug lust — the cute, little sucking "babies".
 
 

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