The seminal fluid is a complex medium containing a great variety of molecules, mainly
produced by sex accessory glands, and also cells other than spermatozoa (eg leucocytes) …

▪ Abstract Pair formation in social insects mostly happens early in adult life and away from
the social colony context, which precludes promiscuity in the usual sense. Termite males …

The past decade has seen a profound change in the scientific understanding of
reproduction. The traditional view of reproduction as a joint venture undertaken by two …

Bumblebees are familiar and charismatic insects, occurring throughout much of the world.
They are increasingly being used as a model organism for studying a wide range of …

Written by more than 400 subject experts representing diverse academic and applied
domains, this multidisciplinary resource surveys the vanguard of biomaterials and …

Interest in how often female social insects mate is particularly intense because of its impact
on sociality and because of the well-known extreme multiple mating in honeybees. With …

Males of many species choose their mate according to the female's reproductive status, and
there is now increasing evidence that male fitness can depend on this discrimination …

Multiple mating by queens occurs in many species of social Hymenoptera despite its likely
costs. Hypotheses to explain multiple mating include a need for more sperm than provided …

Insects display a staggering diversity of mating and social behaviours. Studying these
systems provides insights into a wide range of evolutionary and behavioural questions, such …

Ejaculates contain sperm but also seminal fluid, which is increasingly recognized to be of
central importance for reproductive success. However, a detailed biochemical composition …