Creature Countdowns
No. 10 - Scorpionfly
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Thievery is common among animals, but the scorpionfly takes theft to a whole new level. To mate with a female, the male scorpionfly must typically present her with the gift of food. Many forgo the annoyance of having to hunt down a food item by simply stealing a dead insect from a spider's web. Others may swipe the gift of another would-be suitor and present it to the female as his own. But perhaps the cleverest and most despicable males actually pretend to be females in order to abscond with the gift of the males attempting to mate with them. Then, the false-female makes his escape and mates with an actual female as she enjoys his gift of stolen food.
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