Afrocimex constrictus
Encyclopedia
Afrocimex constrictus, also called the African bat bug, is an insect parasite of Egyptian fruit bat
s in bat caves in East Africa
. Population sizes can comprise millions of individuals and there can be one to 15 bugs per bat. It was estimated that adult African bat bugs feed approximately once per week thus withdrawing 1-28 microlitre blood per day per bat.
As in many other cimicids, Afrocimex constrictus reproduce through traumatic insemination
. During mating, the male pierces the female's abdomen
with his genitals, and ejaculates into her body cavity, into a special organ called the spermalege
. While females do have external genitalia, they are used for egg laying but not for mating. Afrocimex constrictus males also pierce and inseminate other males. Male-male stabbings were originally probably harmful to males and so it was speculated that male-male stabbings were the reason that Afrocimex constrictus males have - like females - evolved a spermalege. The male spermalege looks similar but not identical to the typical female spermalege and males receive fewer stabbings than females. In one cave around 80% of the females were found to mimic the male version of the spermalege and such females receive fewer stabbings from males than females that have the original spermalege type.
Egyptian fruit bat
The Egyptian Fruit Bat or Egyptian Rousette is a species of Old World fruit bat found throughout Africa, except in the desert regions of the Sahara, and throughout the Middle East, as far east as Pakistan and northern India...
s in bat caves in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Population sizes can comprise millions of individuals and there can be one to 15 bugs per bat. It was estimated that adult African bat bugs feed approximately once per week thus withdrawing 1-28 microlitre blood per day per bat.
As in many other cimicids, Afrocimex constrictus reproduce through traumatic insemination
Traumatic insemination
Traumatic insemination, also known as hypodermic insemination, is the mating practice in some species of invertebrates in which the male pierces the female's abdomen with his penis and injects his sperm through the wound into her abdominal cavity . The sperm diffuse through the female's hemolymph,...
. During mating, the male pierces the female's abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
with his genitals, and ejaculates into her body cavity, into a special organ called the spermalege
Spermalege
The spermalege is a special-purpose organ found in bed bugs that appears to have evolved to mitigate the effects of traumatic insemination. The spermalege has two embryologically distinct parts, known as the ectospermalege and mesospermalege...
. While females do have external genitalia, they are used for egg laying but not for mating. Afrocimex constrictus males also pierce and inseminate other males. Male-male stabbings were originally probably harmful to males and so it was speculated that male-male stabbings were the reason that Afrocimex constrictus males have - like females - evolved a spermalege. The male spermalege looks similar but not identical to the typical female spermalege and males receive fewer stabbings than females. In one cave around 80% of the females were found to mimic the male version of the spermalege and such females receive fewer stabbings from males than females that have the original spermalege type.