(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Their light is a signal
to wingless females on the ground.
(gentle music)
She's the size of a grain of rice.
They turn off their lights,
affording a little privacy from the competition.
Mating over, she now heads underground to lay her eggs.
He taps a rhythm to get her in the mood.
If he doesn't get this right,
he'll end up as a meal, not a mate.
(ominous music)
(elegant music)
One bite from those fangs and it will all be over.
She weighs 20% more than he does,
so it takes all his strength to hold her.
Just long enough to pass a packet of sperm
into the underside of her abdomen.
Success.
But best not to stick around. (gecko chirping)
She has excellent hearing.
(gecko chirping)
And high standards.
(gecko chirping)
There's something special in his call.
(gecko chirping)
This time, his serenade has won him a mate.
(gecko chirping)
(upbeat music)
Locked in a mating embrace,
this pair is focused on each other.
(ominous music)
The female is testing the male's strength.
She's not impressed.
(gentle music)
Zigzagging flight helps him pinpoint her position.
He's found her.
But at a cost.
The energy he burned up in flight cannot be replaced.
These moths will never eat.
They have no mouth parts.
This is his last act.
(ominous music)
There's a female close by.
(gentle music)
He's got to go for it.
(frog groaning)
But he's not the only one vying for her affection.
(frog groaning)
His neighbor is on to her too.
(frog groaning)
He adds a trill to the end of his call.
(frog groaning)
The rival adds a flourish to his call too.
(frog groaning)
It's a sing-off.
(frogs groaning)
Dangerous tactics.
(suspenseful music)
Competition silenced,
the tiny male wins his mate.
In a noisy world, sometimes it pays to be quiet.
(ominous music)
(gentle music)