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Published online 21 October 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.1020
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Lazy male spiders avoid dinner date
Trespassing redbacks reap the rewards of reproduction without the costs of courting.
Male spiders that saunter onto a female's web after a rival has spent hours wooing her can quickly copulate without being prematurely eaten by the female. This tactic could lead to small spider suitors seeking out competition with larger rival spiders rather than avoiding it, Canadian researchers say.
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