Gay bugs

This is a good point, which can be asked about any comparative scientific work. I spoke to Inon Scharf over email about bug libido, comparative zoology, and how much it sucks to be a mistaken object of affection. [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.

First, they lose time, which could be devoted for other activities such as mating themselves with females. (Image credit: Reddogs | Shutterstock). 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.

On one hand, you are of course right — each system is unique and has its own characteristics. It would be better to decide both fast and accurate, but this does not usually happen. However, animals are not perfect, and there are many types of trade-off in nature.

Male insects generally have gay sex by mistake: they can't tell the difference between a male and female until the act is done. How consistent is insect sexuality across species in general? Yes, although not much is known.

Billions of insects are : Billions of insects are having gay sex 'accidentally' say scientists Research is suggesting insects who engage in homosexual acts have mistaken their partners gender

What about the male bugs who gay getting penetrated by another male? 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.

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. Photo by Vvillamon, via Flickr.

Are there any drawbacks for the male insects that are mistaken for females and mounted? In the case of strong competition, the male choosing fast and inaccurate could be much more successful. Sometimes fast decisions are much more helpful than slow though accurate decisions.

Third, they can get infected with some sex disease, while not getting any benefit transmitting their sperm to a female. Scientists have seen the same phenomenon in bugs in the wild, too. Second, because there is no genital fit or because they tend to resist this mating, they can get injured.

Fast decisions increase the chance of mistake. What are the benefits of doing a cross-species comparison of this kind of behaviour? 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.

This could be also the case bugs. One is percent accurate with his mate choices he chooses only femalesbut the other does some mistakes but is faster. Scharf and Martin write that there is no proof that this willy-nilly boning strategy is part of any homosexual desire.

In short, generalisations are very important in biology, even at the expense of accuracy. For centuries naturalists have observed and recorded homosexual behaviour in nature. Such trade-offs are assumed to enhance variation in nature.