Is sex worth it?

[Aquila]

The quick "I took bio once and..." answer to Rumblefish's question.

From the female's POV: she's got what she wants from the male (sperm), and by eating him, she gets good nutrition, too. So eating him makes her reproductive success likely to be a bit better.

From the males POV: he's got his sperm into the female. This "packet" of sperm is pretty much his reproductive future. IF he gets away, he MAY be able to breed again. Or not. If he gets eaten, then he's pretty much giving his all for the improved success of the sperm/egg combo he's contributed to.

In Darwinian terms, it's not really about surviving yourself, it's about trying to produce the next generation and the next and the next. If the male can improve the likely success of his offspring through better nutrition, then his genes are likely to survive. It's only worth doing 1) if the mantis is going to produce lots of potential offspring with a greater likelihood of reproductive success because of his nutritional donation, 2) if there's not great likelihood that he can mate again to produce double the number of potential offspring, 3) if the male mantis isn't going to contribute in some other way to the likely success of the offspring.

So, human males don't have much to worry about! We humans don't produce lots of spawn at one mating (a single mating has a low likelihood of producing even 1 offspring--despite every TV show about a teen girl who has sex once!), most mate more than once, and in humans, the likelihood of offspring success is greater if more adults are contributing to its care.

[Happy_Wheels!]

Is sex worth it?

Hell yes!

Luv,
Happy_Wheels!

[Zen]

Is sex worth it?

Hell yes!

Luv,
Happy_Wheels!

Must be a guy.

From a human perspective, the prospect of sex makes the male do stupid things. No further details necessary.

[Starfish]

the prospect of sex makes the male do stupid things. No further details necessary.

Oh, that it were only guys this principle affects...