Cupid's Arrow Takes on New Meaning With Traumatic Insemination

For some animals, sex can seem more like an act of war. A diverse array of animals – including nematode worms, spiders, snails, and bed bugs – use so-called “traumatic insemination.” In this bizarre mating strategy, the male stabs the female with his penis, injecting sperm directly into her body cavity.Now, scientists can add another species to the list of traumatic inseminators. Researchers examined the mating act of twisted-winged parasites of the species Stylops ovinae for the first time.Read the whole story on National Geographic's Weird & Wild news blog: Tough Love: Male Parasite Stabs Female in Neck With Penis.