Bedbugs

Although bedbugs infestations can be a horrible experience for us, spare a moment to think of the poor female bedbug and what she has to go through during their mating ritual, not least because it sounds like the authorities should be involved as its known as the not terrifying at all ‘ traumatic insemination’.

Yes, it is as awful as sounds, and sometimes it’s not just the poor female. When mating the male grabs a hold of the poor female and stabs his penis into a special place in her abdomen, inseminating her. This is a traumatic experience for the females’ exoskeletons and probably ruins the rest of her day. Although, they have adapted ways of minimizing the damage and protecting themselves.

Unfortunately for the other males involved in this traumatic ritual, they aren’t so lucky if another over zealous male accidentally stabs them instead. Having not evolved the same protective adaptations as the female the trauma inflicted by the other male can, and usually does, result in death.