Gay bugs

On one hand, you are of course right — each system is unique and has its own characteristics. [1] Couple of male mallard ducks in a nature reserve in Germany For these animals, there is documented evidence of homosexual behavior of one or more of the following kinds: sex, courtship, affection, pair.

In the case of strong competition, the male choosing fast and inaccurate could be much more successful. One is percent accurate with his mate choices he chooses only femalesbut the other does some mistakes but is faster. Yes, although not much is known.

Are there any drawbacks for the male insects that are mistaken for females and mounted? What are the benefits of doing a cross-species comparison of this kind of behaviour? Photo by Vvillamon, via Flickr.

Such trade-offs are assumed to enhance variation in nature. Roy and Silo, two Central Park Zoo male chinstrap penguins similar to those pictured, became internationally known when they successfully hatched and cared for an egg they were given.

In short, generalisations are very important in biology, even at the expense of accuracy. This could be also the case here. First, they lose time, which could be devoted for other activities such as mating themselves with females. I spoke to Inon Scharf over email about bug libido, comparative zoology, and how much it sucks to be a mistaken object of affection.

It would be better to decide both fast and accurate, but this does not usually happen. For centuries naturalists have observed and recorded homosexual behaviour in nature. Up to half of insect sex can involve two males but our study suggests it’s probably less design and more a case of mistaken identity.

This is a good point, which can be asked about any comparative scientific work. What about the male bugs who are getting penetrated by another male? (Image credit: Reddogs | Shutterstock). Third, they can get infected with some sex disease, while not getting any benefit transmitting their sperm to a female.

Why Insects Have Gay : According to new research, insects that engage in homosexual behavior are “not gay, just confused

But on the other hand, one important goal of science is to reach a better understanding of life, and this could be done by comparing studies and species, and looking for the common things while also considering the uniqueness of each system. Second, because there is no genital fit or because they tend to resist this mating, they can get injured.

Sometimes fast decisions are much more helpful than slow though accurate decisions. Af Stephen Andrew Galiher. How consistent is insect sexuality across species in general? Male insects generally have gay sex by mistake: they can't tell the difference between a male and female until the act is done.

Scharf and Martin write that there is no proof that this willy-nilly boning strategy is part of any homosexual desire. However, animals are not perfect, and there are many types of trade-off in nature. Fast decisions increase the chance of mistake.

Some scientists have posited that non-reproductive orgasm is a way to keep sperm stocks fresh; some guess that animals need the practice; some observe that same-sex sexual SSS activity strengthens social bonds or establishes hierarchal structure; and others suggest that animals just wanna have fun.

Af Caleb Catlin. Scientists have seen the same phenomenon in bugs in the wild, too.