Artists comments.

I've been looking to update this for a while now.

in the Alate AU there is quite a bit of variation on the peenor.

and my take on the irken wang is more towards something of a H.R.Giger looking thing , hard, segmented with lots of texture.

but I also don't want to alienate the approach to the tentacle appendage that so many in the IZ fandom tend to favor for.

so in this update to the AU I aim to give explanation that satisfies my nerdy need for things to make sense biologically.

inspiration drawn vaguely from our own animal kingdom. several types of lizards , and cuttlefish as well as dragonflies and a few other things i'm not bothered to name.

the explanative text that follows is presented as the research noted of medical officer Horphin

profed by my good friend https://a.furaffinity.net/20221221/tsuki-akurei.gif tsuki-akurei

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Reproductive habits of the post industrial irken - section 1 - the Aedeagus-

a wide variety of penile shapes are possible; there is much variation in the members of the breeding male Irken.

The aedeagus can be classed into one of 3 base types depending on its most prominent features.

pseudo-knots, scrapers, and the slender and flexible tentacle type.

Each type utilises a different strategy in the hopes of out competing other males attempts for ensuring their sperm is chosen by the recipient brood queen.

The variation appears to be an artefact relic left over from ancient Irken ancestors.

These early Irkens lived in complex and sophisticated hive systems with a fertile queen at the core of the hive.

Competition between breeding drones for access to the queen as well as the fledgling alates on their nuptial flight was fierce, driving something of an evolutionary arms race to develop the best tool for the art of successful insemination.

In modern Irkens the need for such extreme features of the reproductive appendage is all but non-existent as our race has shifted from organic reproduction to exclusively artificial means.

still the variations in the aedeagus are deep rooted in the genetic makeup of the Irken race and as breeding drones are continued to be produced by the cloning bank ,all be them inactive.

The range of features persists though one can only make estimations on the exact functions of such structures given the lack of historical documentation on the topic.

Thus these theories have been cross referenced with other species who bear similar anatomical features in the hopes of making sense of the sheer array of structures present in the aedeagus of Irkens today.

Beginning with the first mentioned phenotype:

That of the pseudo-knot.

The pseudo-knot forms a balled swelling of the tissue near the base of the aedeagus that expands significantly post ejaculation. This bulbous mass remains engorged prolonging the duration of the erectile period. Its function is presumed to form something of what’s known in other species as a tie. A phenomenon where but the copulating couple remain joined until the swelling of the penile tissue subsides. Such a mating strategy effectively prevents the advances of other would-be suitors in keeping the female busy thus allowing more time for sperm to be accepted.

The second phenotype is that of the scrapers.

Hardly a flattering term but it is the most descriptive of the strategy deployed by these ornately decorated aedeagus’.

Scrapers bolster well defined ridges along the edges of the segmented sections of the aedeagus.

Many have bevels, grooves, burs or other ridged textures along the defined banding of each segment. The glans is also well decorated in this phenotype with many baring barbless of differing lengths and thicknesses with a prehensile extension of tissue at the very tip of the glans.

Scrapers are by far the most ridged of the 3 phenotypes sacrificing some of the dexterity of the prehensile shaft in favour of all the studded adornments. The aedeagus is still capable of bending into an S shape however its flexibility is somewhat limited.

The strategy employed by such an ornate appendage is that of removal of competitors' sperm.

As seen in other species the function of the complexly shaped cartilage-like structures is to pull outward any seminal fluid left by a previous partner. As the aedeagus is thrust back and forth the pronounced ridges not only serve to stimulate the female to climax but simultaneously scrub out the vaginal tract. Pushing aside competitors' sperm in the hopes of pushing ahead to the front of the line so to speak.

The last distinctive phenotype is that of the tentacle.

a slender aedeagus with highly developed dexterity.

This phenotype has forgone the specialised tissue types of the previous types in favour of coordination of the prehensile capabilities.

Tentacle type aedeagus may be able to more accurately deposit sperm within the female's reproductive tract bypassing competitors of both pseudoknots and scrapers alike by probing for the exact location of the uterine opening by strategically placing sperm for optimal absorption.

Cross species examination would also suggest that this phenotype may be able to circumvent pseudoknots by stealth insertions. The softer nature of the tissue that makes up the tentacle aedeagus would in theory allow for such a thing.

Variations exist between the phenotypes.

Some aedeagus may bare features of more than 1 phenotype making them difficult to place into clear classification.

Some combinations of features may prove to be beneficial giving a higher chance of success.

Whereas other combinations of features may have no bearing on the males chances of siring brood.

Research on the topic is lacking to say the least and initiating new studies is impossible for a plethora of reasons. For now these observations will have to be done. Perhaps at some point one can return to these notes to form the basis of a proper more scientific study.