The insects scandalously embracing in this picture are decorated crickets (Grylllodes sigillatus), which can be found in the southwestern United States, among other places. The droplet on the male's tail is--for want of a better word--a gift. After producing this glob he sticks it onto the package of sperm he places on the female. After the crickets are finished with their encounter, the female will grab the gift and snack on it.
In an age when penguins can become role models for traditional family values, some people may be tempted to celebrate the decorated cricket as everything a gentleman should be. But before anyone gets carried off on the vapors of chivalry, it pays to take a closer look at those gifts.
