Complex suicidal somersault behavior in male redback spiders may be explained by surprisingly simple genetics

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The Australian redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti), a cousin of the North American black widow spider, is known to practice sexual cannibalism, which is somewhat common among spider species. However, the male Australian redback has also been observed facilitating the process with strange moves. Despite the complexity of these behaviors, a new study, published in Biology Letters, indicates that one of these behaviors arises from simple genetics, while another may be more complex.