How a male praying mantis keeps its head during rough sex

A male Springbok praying mantis looking for a hook up doesn't have to worry about a female stealing his heart away. "Males play Russian roulette whenever they encounter cannibalistic females," explained Nathan Burke, an entomologist at the University of Auckland and an expert on mantis mating rituals. "Under threat of cannibalistic attack, males try to subdue females by pinning them down in violent struggles," said Burke, co-author with colleague Gregory Holwell of the study. "I was very surprised to discover that males injure females while trying to subdue them for mating," said Burke.