Function
| Love dart which has pierced through the head of a snail – New Scientist | |
| Love darts of Cepaea nemoralis in action | |
| Love dart of Helix aspersa in action |
Although the existence and use of love darts in snails has been known for at least several centuries, until recently the actual function of love darts was not properly understood.
It was long assumed that the darts had some sort of "stimulating" function, and served to make copulation more likely. It was also suggested that darts might be a "gift" of calcium. These theories have proved to be incorrect; recent research has led to a new understanding of the function of love darts.
The two species that have been studied the most are Helix aspersa, the garden snail, and Helix pomatia, the edible escargot. In Helix aspersa (aka Cantareus aspersus), the dart is coated with a special mucus which contains a hormone-like substance. This substance contracts one part of the female half of the reproductive system of the snail that has been struck with the dart, and this allows many more sperm to survive, significantly increasing the likelihood of a successful fertilization.
Read more about this topic: Love Dart
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