Gryllodes sigillatus spermatophylax cDNA. Gryllodes sigillatus isolate:Spermatophylax

Nuptial food gifts produced by males and offered to females during copulation are widespread ininsects. Male decorated crickets Gryllodes sigillatus transfer a spermatophore to female during copulation. This spermatophore is composed of an oral gift, a spermatophylax. The primary function of the spermatophylax is to ensure complete sperm transfer. Despite extensive empirical study, the lack of data related to the biochemistry of nuptial gifts such as those produced by males G. sigillatus has dramatically hindered our understanding of the function of such gifts. Here, we report the first attempt to analyze the proteome of the spermatophylax produced by male G. sigillatus.