The most interesting researching is being done on the Australian Redback Spider. Redback males seem to facilitate sexual cannibalism. Redback copulation consists of the male placing his 2 palps into the female's genital openings, one at a time. The male then spins 180 degrees and places his abdomen directly over the female's mouthparts. This manuver allows the female easy-access feeding.
Cannibalism results in longer copulation duration.
Dampening the female's desire to mate again. Studies have shown that a female redback is more likely to reject a sencond suitor if she has eaten the first one. Studies have shown that although males always somersault, that females do not always consume the males. As of yet, no specific female preference has been found to explain why females eat one suitor and not another. However, there is a strong correlation between a female's hunger and her likeliness to consume her suitor.