serial polyandry

animal behavior

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July 18, 2026

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Serial polyandry is an animal behavior where a female mates with multiple males, but not simultaneously. This contrasts with simultaneous polyandry, where a female mates with multiple males at the same time. While polyandry is rare in the animal kingdom, it has been observed in species like spotted sandpipers, phalaropes, and jacanas.1

In some cases, polyandry is a response to specific environmental or social conditions, such as skewed sex ratios or high adult male mortality. It is also distinguished from other mating systems like polygyny (one male, multiple females) and monogamy (one male, one female).12

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animal social behavior
Social interactions involving sex
…may be referred to as serial polyandry, sequential polyandry, or serial monogamy, depending on whether the focus is on mate-switching behavior or the number of mates at a given time. Serial monogamy can be used to describe species such as the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis), in which males and…
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…may be referred to as serial polyandry, sequential polyandry, or serial monogamy, depending on whether the focus is on mate-switching behavior or the number of mates at a given time. Serial monogamy can be used to describe species such as the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis), in which males and…
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