Washington, Sept 11 : Researchers from Miami University in Ohio have found that how small male spiders are relative to females has a large effect on the frequency of sexual cannibalism.
Female spiders are voracious predators and consume a wide range of prey, which sometimes includes their mates.
Now, researchers Shawn Wilder and Ann Rypstra from Miami University in Ohio have found that males are more likely to be eaten if they are much smaller than females, which likely affects how easy they are to catch.
During their research, they found that in one species of spider, Hogna helluo, large males were never consumed while small males were consumed 80 percent of the time.