"Male genitalia are sometimes used as devices for coercive holding of females as a result of sexual conflict over mating. In contrast, female genitalia are usually simple. Here we report the reversal of intromittent organs in the insect genus Neotrogla (Psocodea: Prionoglarididae) from Brazilian caves. Females have a highly elaborate, penis-like structure, the gynosome, while males lack an intromittent organ. The gynosome has species-specific elaborations, such as numerous spines that fit species-specific pouches in the simple male genital chamber. During prolonged copulation (∼40–70 hr), a large and potentially nutritious ejaculate is transferred from the male via the gynosome. The correlated genital evolution in Neotrogla is probably driven by reversed sexual selection with females competing for seminal gifts. Nothing similar is known among sex-role reversed animals."
Excerpted from the abstract of an article at Current Biology, which has lots more detail (and additional graphic depictions). It will be interesting to see if Blogspot takes this post one down or puts it behind a warning.
My entomology professor in college used to claim that if it happened ANYWHERE else in the animal kingdom, there was a group of insects with that trait/characteristic/adaptation/ behavior/etc. And that they also exhibited things not seen in any other animal group. He claimed it was what made the insects so interesting to him as a scientist.
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