1.媒體來源:
Physics.org
2.完整新聞標題:
Study shows starving mantis females attract more males
研究顯示飢餓的辭螳螂吸引更多雄性
3.完整新聞內文:
A study done by Katherine Barry an evolutionary biologist with Macquarie
University in Australia has led to the discovery that a certain species of
female mantis attracts more males when starving, then do those who are well
fed. In her paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, she
describes experiments she carried out that contradicted conventional thinking.
摘譯：有些種類的雌螳螂飢餓時比飽食下，吸引更多雄性。
Scientists have known for quite some time that female false garden mantises
attract males using pheromones—they've also known that the females quite
often eat the male before it has a chance to mate with her. Up until now,
however, it has been assumed that the better fed females, which produce more
eggs, attract more males. This new study suggests such thinking has been in
error.
摘譯：雌螳螂以在雄螳螂有機會跟牠交配以前吃掉牠聞名。但在這以前，都是假設
良好餵食的雌螳螂，因為會生產更多蛋，因此吸引更多雄性。但新的研究顯示這種
假設是錯誤的。
Barry had a hunch that the hungriest of the females likely produced more
pheromones than did others, because they had more at stake. Attracting more
males meant attracting more meals, thereby solving the hunger problem. To
test her idea, she captured several females and placed them in mesh cages
that kept them separate and hidden from males that were introduced later.
First, she fed the females differing amounts over a period of time, causing
them to have four different levels of nourishment: good, medium, poor and
very poor. When the males were introduced she counted how many were attracted
to those in the various groups.
摘譯：Barry直覺最飢餓的雌性傾向生產更多費洛蒙，因為他們有更大的風險。
吸引更多雄性意味吸引更多食物，因此解決了飢餓問題。
In studying the data, she found that the males were more attracted to the
females that were graded as good verses medium or poor, but those that were
labeled as very poor attracted over twice as many as those that were labeled
as good. Thus, starving the female clearly led to a stronger attraction in
males, which is impressive considering that such females tend to produce very
few eggs and thus offspring. Instead of producing eggs, the females produce
more pheromones to attract more males which are eaten to reduce hunger, and
thereafter, more eggs.
摘譯：從所蒐集的研究資料，她發現良好營養狀態的雌性螳螂，較普通營養狀態或是
貧弱狀態的螳螂更能吸引雄性。但是那些標示為非常貧弱營養狀態的螳螂，吸引兩倍於
良好營養狀態的螳螂。
As an added note, Barry pointed out that starving females are quite adept at
avoiding copulation—she bites off the head and forelegs, to prevent being
mounted, but still must wrangle with the male, as he has an additional brain
in his abdomen. It's only after he dies that she eats him.
飢餓狀態的雌螳螂，更嫻熟於避免交配，牠會咬掉(雄性的)頭跟前肢已避免被上。
但仍然與雄螳螂爭辯，他還有另外一個腦在他的腹部。只有在他死掉之後她才會吃他。
4.完整新聞連結 (或短網址):
http://phys.org/news/2014-12-starving-mantis-females-males.html
5.備註:
當吸引異性的目的不再是生產子代，而是獲取更多資源。
我想知道這研究，是否可以解釋人類的某些特異的行為？