Traumatic insemination and sexual conflict in the bed bug Cimex lectularius

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has a unique mode of copulation termed "tra umatic" insemination [Carayon, J. (1966) in Monograph of the Cimicidae, ed. Usinger, R. (Entomol. Sec. Am., Philadelphia), pp. 81-167] during which th e male pierces the female's abdominal wall with his external genitalia and inseminates into her body cavity [Carayon, J. (1966) in Monograph of the Ci micidae, ed. Usinger, R. (Entomol. Sec. Am., Philadelphia), pp. 81-167]. Un der controlled natural conditions, traumatic insemination was frequent and temporally restricted. We show for the first time, to our knowledge, that t raumatic insemination results in (i) last-male sperm precedence, (ii) subop timal remating frequencies for the maintenance of female fertility, and (ii i) reduced longevity and reproductive success in females. Experimental fema les did not receive indirect benefits from multiple mating. We conclude tha t traumatic insemination is probably a coercive male copulatory strategy th at results in a sexual conflict of interests.