All is fair in love and war, and especially the warfare of love. Locke Rowe of the University of Toronto discovered that male water striders have evolved its antennae into a specialized hook to grab onto a female's eyes in order to mate:
As the female skates over the surface of ponds and lakes, males will try to force themselves upon her. She resists by struggling vigorously. But in some species, males can avoid being thrown off with antennae that have evolved into antler-shaped restraints. They bend in on themselves and are loaded with an array of prongs and spikes that perfectly fit to the shape of a female’s head. [...]
The females have normal antennae. The males however, have “spectacularly modified grasping devices”, says Rowe. “They’re large, muscular, and fitted with spines and spikes exquisitely adapted for grasping – a long way from an insect feeler.”
Ed Yong of Discover Magazine's Not Exactly Rocket Science has the story: Link
Previously on Neatorama: 30 Strangest Animal Mating Habits