The meaning and origin of the expression: The female of the species is more deadly than the male

The female of the species is more deadly than the male

What's the origin of the phrase 'The female of the species is more deadly than the male'?

A well-known line from Rudyard Kipling's poem The Female of the Species, 1911:

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride,
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

See also: the List of Proverbs.