PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Tiny orchid flowers pollinated by tiny flies

Scientists discover the first orchid species pollinated by gall midges

Tiny orchid flowers pollinated by tiny flies
2024-03-29
(Press-News.org)

Researchers Yuta Sunakawa, Ko Mochizuki, and Atsushi Kawakita of the University of Tokyo discovered the first orchid species pollinated by gall midges, a tiny fly species. This is the first documented case of an orchid species found to be pollinated by gall midges, and it makes the orchids the eleventh such plant family. The findings were published in the journal Ecology.

The family of orchids is rich both in numbers and variety. Their range of shapes and sizes is due to having evolved to attract different animal pollinators. However, scientists have only mapped the pollination biology of only about ten percent of all orchid species. The trio of researchers set out to investigate the possible pollinator of Oberonia japonica, a species native to Japan and a member of the Oberonia genus, one of the genera with the smallest known flowers in the orchid family. This plant’s orange flowers are about the size of the tip of a mechanical pencil and are arranged in whorls of five to six. Full flower stalks can contain upwards of a hundred whorls. The team went to Aichi Prefecture to observe and collect “visitors” stuck to the flowers to see what species they were and if they were in fact, pollinating the plants.

“We conducted a field observation of flower visitors on May 11–12 and 14, 2022, in their natural habitat in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture,” says Sunakawa. “Interestingly, these flower visitors were observed exclusively during the night, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. As both the flowers and midges were exceptionally small, initially we could only discern the presence of  “small insects.” It was only after capturing an image with a macro lens that we discovered they were gall midges. Photographing a gall midge carrying the orchid's pollinaria, a lump of pollen and accessory structures, was a thrilling experience.”

However, as one mystery was solved, others popped up in its stead. The gall midges found on the flowers were mostly females with identical external morphologies. Gall midges live in most habitats around the globe and similar orchid species can be found in the neotropical regions of Polynesia, Asia, and Africa. These two factors suggest that there might be other orchid species pollinated by gall midges waiting to be discovered. So, Sunakawa explains the next steps for research.

“The reason why only female gall midges are attracted to these flowers and why they act as if they were transferring pollinaria is still unknown. We are eager to solve this mystery through additional field observations, observations in other locations, and observations of other closely related species.”

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Tiny orchid flowers pollinated by tiny flies Tiny orchid flowers pollinated by tiny flies 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Researchers develop AI-based tool paving the way for personalized cancer treatments

Researchers develop AI-based tool paving the way for personalized cancer treatments
2024-03-29
In the ongoing fight against cancer, scientists around the globe are exploring innovative approaches to unlock the mysteries of the human immune system — the complex network of organs, cells and proteins that defends the body against disease.  A team led by Arizona State University scientists have developed an AI-based learning tool called HLA Inception that’s uncovered new information about how an individual person’s immune system responds to foreign cells.  Focusing on a group of proteins called Major Histocompatibility Complex-1(MHC-1), the AI-based tool, in seconds, can classify the specific group of proteins unique for ...

Reports of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events in predominantly republican vs democratic states

2024-03-29
About The Study: This study found that the more states were inclined to vote Republican, the more likely their vaccine recipients or their clinicians reported COVID-19 vaccine adverse events. These results suggest that either the perception of vaccine adverse events or the motivation to report them was associated with political inclination.  Authors: David A. Asch, M.D., M.B.A., of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4177) Editor’s ...

Patient out-of-pocket costs for biologic drugs after biosimilar competition

2024-03-29
About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that biosimilar competition was not consistently associated with lower out-of-pocket costs for commercially insured outpatients, highlighting the need for targeted policy interventions to ensure that the savings generated from biosimilar competition translate into increased affordability for patients who need biologics. Authors: Benjamin N. Rome, M.D., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: ...

New Brigham research highlights combining prostate MRI with a blood test to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies

2024-03-29
MRI of the prostate, combined with a blood test, can help determine if a prostate lesion is clinically significant cancer, new research suggests A new meta-analysis by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, suggests that doctors and patients can avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies by combining MRI of the prostate findings with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density. This new approach to diagnosing clinically significant prostate cancer can decrease patient ...

Scientists discover a key quality-control mechanism in DNA replication

2024-03-29
PHILADELPHIA – When cells in the human body divide, they must first make accurate copies of their DNA. The DNA replication exercise is one of the most important processes in all living organisms and is fraught with risks of mutation, which can lead to cell death or cancer. Now, in a landmark finding, biologists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and from the University of Leeds have identified a multi-protein “machine” in cells that helps govern the pausing or stopping of DNA replication to ensure its smooth progress. The discovery, published today in Cell, advances the understanding of DNA replication, helps explain ...

Lipids with potential health benefits in herbal teas

Lipids with potential health benefits in herbal teas
2024-03-29
The lipids in some herbal teas have been identified in detail for the first time, preparing the ground for investigating their contribution to the health benefits of the teas. Herbal teas are enjoyed worldwide, not only for their taste and refreshment but also for a wide range of reputed health benefits. But the potential significance of a category of compounds called lipids in the teas has been relatively unexplored. Researchers at Hokkaido University, led by Associate Professor Siddabasave Gowda and Professor Shu-Ping Hui of the Faculty of Health Sciences, have now identified 341 different molecular species from five categories of lipids in samples of four types of herbal ...

Synergically improved energy storage performance and stability in sol–gel processed BaTiO3/(Pb,La,Ca)TiO3/BaTiO3 tri-layer films with a crystalline engineered sandwich structure

Synergically improved energy storage performance and stability in sol–gel processed BaTiO3/(Pb,La,Ca)TiO3/BaTiO3 tri-layer films with a crystalline engineered sandwich structure
2024-03-29
As a green, sustainable, and competitive technology relative to batteries and electrochemical capacitors and featuring a high charge storage capability, the dielectric capacitors excel in low cost, long cycle-life, and a broad operating temperature range, as well as environmental friendliness, high security, and good reliability. Most importantly, they top other technologies in terms of ultra-high-power density due to their unrivaled charge-discharge speed. These features have created a number of applications for them in power electronic devices and pulsed power equipment. Among the dielectric capacitors, the ferroelectric ones can provide a high energy density due to ...

International collaboration enabled participatory stock assessment on glass eel fisheries in West Java, Indonesia

International collaboration enabled participatory stock assessment on glass eel fisheries  in West Java, Indonesia
2024-03-29
Joint Press Release with IPB University, WWF Indonesia, and WWF Japan <Summary Text> Appropriate fishery management requires an understanding of the target species' stock dynamics. However, in the Northern Hemisphere, illegal trade and IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fisheries make the assessment of recruiting glass eels extremely difficult. Contrary, we have successfully collected sufficient data on glass eel fisheries for detailed statistical analysis based on a community-based participatory assessment. This study was conducted by NGOs, experts, and a broad range of stakeholders ...

Enhanced melanoma vaccine offers improved survival for men

Enhanced melanoma vaccine offers improved survival for men
2024-03-29
A second-generation melanoma vaccine being developed at UVA Cancer Center improves long-term survival for melanoma patients compared with the first-generation vaccine, new research shows. Interestingly, the benefit of the second-generation vaccine was greater for male patients than female patients. That finding could have important implications for other cancer vaccines, the researchers say. The vaccine developers, led by Craig L. Slingluff Jr., MD, found that they could enhance the effectiveness of their melanoma vaccine by simultaneously stimulating important immune cells known as “helper ...

Nearly one-third of patients with TBI have marginal or inadequate health literacy

2024-03-29
Waltham — March 26, 2024 — Low health literacy is a problem for a substantial proportion of people with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to research published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.  Angelle M. Sander, PhD, FACRM, Professor in the H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of TIRR Memorial Hermann’s Brain Injury Research Center, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks

Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems

Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions

Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing

New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture

The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet

Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy

Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab

Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy

Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues

New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children

Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer

It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections

From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine

Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023

No evidence that medications trigger microscopic colitis in older adults

NYUAD researchers find link between brain growth and mental health disorders

Aging-related inflammation is not universal across human populations, new study finds

University of Oregon to create national children’s mental health center with $11 million federal grant

Rare achievement: UTA undergrad publishes research

Fact or fiction? The ADHD info dilemma

Genetic ancestry linked to risk of severe dengue

Genomes reveal the Norwegian lemming as one of the youngest mammal species

Early birds get the burn: Monash study finds early bedtimes associated with more physical activity

Groundbreaking analysis provides day-by-day insight into prehistoric plankton’s capacity for change

Southern Ocean saltier, hotter and losing ice fast as decades-long trend unexpectedly reverses

Human fishing reshaped Caribbean reef food webs, 7000-year old exposed fossilized reefs reveal

Killer whales, kind gestures: Orcas offer food to humans in the wild

Hurricane ecology research reveals critical vulnerabilities of coastal ecosystems

[Press-News.org] Tiny orchid flowers pollinated by tiny flies
Scientists discover the first orchid species pollinated by gall midges