The ascidian Ciona (a genus of sea squirts) begins metamorphosis several tens of minutes after its larvae attach to rocks or other surfaces, transforming from larvae into adults. Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that Ciona measures the time between attachment and the onset of metamorphosis by accumulating a substance called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which is responsible for signal transduction within cells.

The azuki bean beetle is a common pest of stored beans and peas. Researchers at Kyushu University have found that when beetles infected with Wolbachia bacteria are exposed to elevated temperature and carbon dioxide they tend to produce larger eggs to enhance the survivability of their offspring. Interestingly, these larger eggs gave rise only to male larvae.

The study describes how the embryos grow substantially in utero, likely receiving maternal nourishment during development, a reproductive mode known as adenotrophic viviparity.

The study offers new insights into how developmental constraints can affect behavior, reproduction, and ecological success, not only in flies, but potentially in other parasitoids. T

For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich have successfully produced hundreds of different types of nerve cell from human stem cells in Petri dishes. In the future, it will thus be possible to investigate neurological disorders using cell cultures instead of animal testing.

Ant plants from a remote Pacific island reveal new insights into an important ecological question: how unrelated and antagonistic partners can form long-term mutualistic relationships with the same host.