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Stealth helps little giraffe weevils get the girl | Science News

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Published on Sep 25, 2014

The puniest little giraffe weevils may not look like they can put up much of a fight against a big rival. But that doesn’t keep them from getting the girl. The little guys just have to be a bit stealthier to make sure they have a chance to mate. But creeping sneaks get away with outrageous stunts among New Zealand’s giraffe weevils (Lasiorhynchus barbicornis). Only small guys resort to funny business, but they don’t have much choice. Male giraffe weevils joust with fishing-pole–like snouts that can grow as long as the rest of their bodies. In a fair fight, a 40-millimeter-plus weapon would leave the smallest males’ 7 millimeters ridiculously out-snouted. Read more on sciencenews.org: http://ow.ly/BS3sj

C.J. Painting and G.I. Holwell. Flexible alternative mating tactics by New Zealand giraffe weevils. Behavioral Ecology. Published online August 24, 2014. doi: 10.1093/beheco/aru140.

Images and video provided by Christina Painting
Reported by Susan Milius; Narrated and produced by Ashley Yeager

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