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Photo#7092
Lovebugs - Plecia nearctica - male - female

Lovebugs - Plecia nearctica - Male Female
Gainesville, Florida, USA
September 16, 2004
The larger (presumably the male) was feeding on the frostweed nectar, meanwhile dragging the smaller (presumably the female) around behind him.
I believe this is Plecia nearctica based on time of year and wing veination

Moved
Moved from Lovebugs.

AAAAW!
that's so cute!

I think male is smaller one
I think the male is the smaller one with the large eyes. That is typical of many insects--larger females, and especially in flies. (Exceptions are where there is physical combat between males over breeding, such as in some beetles, where males are large, horned, and compete for breeding sites, and may mate with several females.)

I've seen this sort of dragging around of the males in some Soldier beetles--genus formerly Cantharus. I even saw an image on Calphoto of a European species where the male was just a corpse, still attached, the female continuing to wander around. Probably the male evolved this behavior to ensure paternity. One wonders how the female is able to oviposit. March Flies are similar, known for long mating--I'll bet the male is locked in!

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

 
Thanks for the clarification, Patrick.
I knew about female spiders being bigger, but hadn't thought much about flies. I wonder if her continued feeding makes for more competitive offspring.

 
Male/Female size differences
Yes, I think that is the idea, I understand--got to have lots of energy to make eggs. Of course, simple explanations in ecology/evolutionary biology often have to be modified once somebody studies them in detail.

Male eyes large for finding the female? Seems to be common in flies.

Now why are males so small, though? No need to waste energy on a big body if all you need to do is find a mate? I guess so. Spiders, very good example! Then there are those deep-sea fish where the male finds a female, attaches, and then degenerates into a sort-of parasite that just provides sperm to the female. Small males seem to occur where the male's best bet is to find a mate and then just hang on, because he is unlikely to find another.

This sort of amateur science speculation is fun. I'll have to ask some real biologists about it.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

 
another small male theory
Another idea on why many male arthropods, especially the spiders and flies you mention, are smaller than the females is that they emerge as adults earlier than the females. Early emergence may help them to stake out territories or locate soon to emerge females to help insure that they actually acheive a mating. In many march flies, males will fly over areas where females are hatching, and as soon as the female takes off, the large eyed male spots her, swoops down, and grabs on. Back to early emergence: males larvae would have less time to feed, thus making them smaller upon adulthood. Small male size is likely to play more than one role in these animals, because a big male would be pretty hard for a female to drag around; all that extra work would probably deplete that energy supply she needs for optimal egg development.

 
Thanks, Stacey!
Nice to hear from a bona fide entomologist!

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