Search | New Scientist

Skip to content

A pair of cowpea seed beetles mating

Traumatic beetle sex causes rapid evolutionary arms race

23 May 2017

Male seed beetles use sharp spikes on their penises to damage females during sex, but females are evolving thicker tissue to resist them

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up