Sexual predator The struggle for sex gets extreme. Adult males emerge first and grab female pupae with their forelegs while keeping other males at bay. Copulation, which lasts up to 30 minutes, takes place as the female emerges from her skin--a phenomenon dubbed "pupal rape." Distribution: Coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America. Breeding habitat: Has found a unique niche in the burrows of land crabs. Feeding: Night feeder; host preferences unknown. Diseases: None known. |
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