Sexual stings in scorpions - knock-out drug or love potion?

Yuqi Reitsema-Wang; Yuri Simone; Volker Herzig; Ronald A. Jenner; Tim Lüddecke; Jonas Krämer

doi:10.3389/frchs.2025.1688532

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Sexual stings in scorpions - knock-out drug or love potion?

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Sexual stings in scorpions - knock-out drug or love potion?

Yuqi Reitsema-Wang, Yuri Simone, Volker Herzig, Ronald A. Jenner, Tim Lüddecke and Jonas Krämer

Frontiers in Arachnid Science, Vol.4, pp.1-10

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frchs.2025.1688532

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Abstract

courtship behaviour

reproduction

scorpion biology

sexual conflict

venom evolution

Conspecific male to female envenomation, though rare, has been documented across venomous taxa. While traditionally interpreted as a coercive mating strategy to enhance male reproductive success and to avoid cannibalism, this explanation may not fully account for the behaviour in scorpions, which exhibit minor sexual size dimorphism and complex courtship rituals. This review explores the possibly multifaceted roles of sexual stinging in scorpions. We highlight potential adaptive strategies, such as venom metering and compositional plasticity, that allow males to subdue females without causing lethal harm. We discuss hypotheses on the evolution of sexual stings, ranging from sexual coercion to chemical seduction and cooperative signalling. Finally, we propose future research directions, including comparative venomics, behavioural assays, and ecological studies, to shed light on the selective pressures that shape this enigmatic behaviour. By integrating insights from physiology, ecology, and evolution, this review advances our understanding of sexual envenomation as a dynamic interplay between conflict and cooperation in scorpion reproductive strategies.

Details

Title: Sexual stings in scorpions - knock-out drug or love potion?
Authors: Yuqi Reitsema-Wang (Corresponding Author) - University of Cambridge
Yuri Simone - University of Antwerp
Volker Herzig - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Ronald A. Jenner - Natural History Museum
Tim Lüddecke - Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology
Jonas Krämer - Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology
Publication details: Frontiers in Arachnid Science, Vol.4, pp.1-10
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.3389/frchs.2025.1688532
ISSN: 2813-5083
Copyright note: © 2025 Reitsema-Wang, Simone, Herzig, Jenner, Lüddecke and Krämer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991192534402621
Output Type: Journal article

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