Spermatophore
Packet containing sperm in invertebrate reproduction
A spermatophore, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma), meaning "seed", and -φόρος (-phóros), meaning "bearing", or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass containing spermatozoa created by males of various animal species, especially salamanders and arthropods, and transferred in entirety to the female's ovipore during reproduction. Spermatophores may additionally contain nourishment for the female, in which case it is called a nuptial gift, as in the instance of bush crickets. In the case of the toxic moth Utetheisa ornatrix, the spermatophore includes sperm, nutrients, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids which prevent predation because it is poisonous to most organisms. However, in some species such as the Edith's checkerspot butterfly, the "gift" provides little nutrient value. The weight of the spermatophore transferred at mating has little effect on female reproductive output.
“Spermatophore” enters the record as packet containing sperm in invertebrate reproduction. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Spermatophore, Packet and containing can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Spermatophore” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.