spermatophylax

A spermatophylax is a gelatinous bolus which some male insects eject during copulation with females through their aedeagi together with spermatophores, and which functions as a nutritive supplement for the female.{{citation | author = K. Vahed | year = 1998 | title = The function of nuptial feeding in insects: review of empirical studies | journal = Biological Reviews | volume = 73 | pages = 43–78 | doi = 10.1111/j.1469-185X.1997.tb00025.x | s2cid = 86644963 | url = http://www.famu.org/mayfly/pubs/zor/zorpub_vahedk1998p45.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120311042845/http://www.famu.org/mayfly/pubs/zor/zorpub_vahedk1998p45.pdf | archive-date = 2012-03-11 }}