(Press-News.org) In a new study published and featured in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, researchers have discovered that the developmental struggles of young parasitoid flies can have lasting effects that echo into adulthood. Led by a team from St. Olaf College in collaboration with others from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Toronto, the study shows that when larvae of the acoustic parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea compete for resources inside a single cricket host, the consequences include reduced survival, smaller pupae, and ultimately smaller adult flies.
These flies are no ordinary insects. Ormia ochracea is known for its remarkable ability to track sound. The females eavesdrop on the mating songs of crickets, using them to locate and infest hosts where their larvae develop internally.
“Our research shows that the number of larvae sharing a host can dramatically influence not just whether the flies survive to adulthood, but how big and possibly how fecund they become,” says co-lead author Jimena A. Dominguez, a post-baccalaureate research associate at St. Olaf.
“It’s like the insect version of childhood nutrition. Limited resources during development can lead to stunted growth that persists for life,” added co-lead author Brendan Latham, a doctoral researcher at the University of Strathclyde.
Using a combination of experimental parasitizations, morphometric measurements, and statistical models, the team examined how larval crowding affected survival rates, pupal size, and adult body size. They found that fewer flies survived to adulthood when two larvae shared a single host cricket, and those that did were noticeably smaller. The study also revealed that pupal size — a stage between larva and adult — was a powerful predictor of adult body size.
“These findings give us a window into how early competition and nutritional stress shape life history in parasitic insects,” says senior author Norman Lee, an associate professor of biology and director of the neuroscience program at St. Olaf. “It’s not just about who survives, it’s about how early experiences shape the adults these animals become.”
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. The collaborative research team also underscores the value of hands-on research experiences for undergraduate students, which will serve as the future of our STEM workforce. This work was made possible through a federally funded NSF CAREER grant that provides critical opportunities for students to engage in real-world scientific discovery.
“In a time of increasing challenges to higher education and research support, this study serves as a reminder of the broad societal benefits that come from sustained investment in scientific research and training” Lee said.“Supporting science means supporting innovation, education, and the next generation of problem-solvers.”
END
Tiny parasitoid flies show how early-life competition shapes adult success
New study reveals early competition affects growth and survival in a predatory fly species
2025-07-10
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New coating for glass promises energy-saving windows
2025-07-10
HOUSTON – (July 10, 2025) – A new coating for glass developed by Rice University researchers and collaborators could help reduce energy bills, especially during the cold season, by preventing heat-loss from leaky windows. The material ⎯ a transparent film made by weaving carbon into the atomic lattice of boron nitride ⎯ forms a thin, tough layer that reflects heat, resists scratches and shrugs off moisture, UV light and temperature swings.
The researchers simulated how the material would behave in an actual-sized building in cities with cold winters like New York, Beijing and Calgary, showing it improved energy savings by 2.9% compared ...
Green spaces boost children’s cognitive skills and strengthen family well-being
2025-07-10
URBANA, Ill. – Access to nature promotes physical and mental health, and it is vital for children’s social and emotional development. Outdoor activities also influence family dynamics, helping to reduce stress and encourage connections. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how green spaces and outdoor structures near the family residence interact with other factors in the household environment to influence executive functioning in early childhood.
“We looked at what people have outside their ...
Ancient trees dying faster than expected in Eastern Oregon
2025-07-10
Eastern Oregon’s Malheur National Forest boasts some of the state’s oldest trees, including pine and larch that live more than 500 years. But many of those ancient trees are dying at an alarming rate, a new analysis shows.
Between 2012 and 2023, a quarter of trees more than 300 years old in randomly located sites in roadless areas died, the study found. A triple whammy of drought, bug infestations and competition with younger trees is likely driving the decline.
“It’s sad to see so many old trees dying,” said lead researcher ...
Study findings help hone precision of proven CVD risk tool
2025-07-10
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (July 10, 2025) – Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction models have improved the ability to stratify adults across the CVD risk spectrum. Researchers at Sutter Health and colleagues at Stanford University tested the performance of the American Heart Association’s Predicting Risk of CVD Events (PREVENT) equations in the six largest Asian subgroups as well as in Mexican and Puerto Rican Hispanic subgroups.
The findings, published June 25 in JAMA Cardiology, showed the PREVENT equations accurately predicted CVD, atherosclerotic CVD ...
Most patients with advanced melanoma who received pre-surgical immunotherapy remain alive and disease free four years later
2025-07-10
Patients with stage III melanoma were treated with nivolumab (anti-PD1) and relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) before surgery
87% of patients remained alive and 80% were disease free four years after treatment
Nearly all patients whose tumors responded to treatment before surgery remained disease-free after four years
Researchers found potential biomarkers that can highly predict which patients have better outcomes or are at high risk of recurrence
HOUSTON, JULY 10, 2025 ― Four years after pre-surgery treatment with a novel combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors, nivolumab and relatlimab, 87% of patients with stage III melanoma ...
Introducing BioEmu: A generative AI Model that enables high-speed and accurate prediction of protein structural ensembles
2025-07-10
Researchers present BioEmu – a new AI model that rapidly and accurately predicts the full range of shapes a protein can adopt, offering a faster, cheaper alternative to traditional molecular simulations. Proteins and their complexes are essential to nearly every biological process and are central to advances in medicine and biotechnology. While recent breakthroughs in sequencing and deep learning have made it easier to determine a protein’s sequence and structure, understanding how proteins function by shifting between different shapes in response to other molecules remains a central challenge. ...
Replacing mutated microglia with healthy microglia halts progression of genetic neurological disease in mice and humans
2025-07-10
Adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP) is a progressive neurological disease with an average age of onset of 43 years and an average life expectancy of only 3 to 5 years after symptoms begin. ALSP is caused by microglial mutation, the immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, ALSP has no cure and treatments are limited.
All microglia rely on a kinase called colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), which is only found in microglia and other myeloid cells. When CSF1R gene carries pathogenic ...
New research shows how tropical plants manage rival insect tenants by giving them separate ‘flats’
2025-07-10
-With images-
In the tropical rainforests of Fiji, a genus of unusual plants has developed a remarkably simple but highly effective way to prevent violence between rival ant colonies: architecture.
In a new study published in Science, an international team led by Professor Guillaume Chomicki at Durham University has revealed how some species of the epiphytic plant Squamellaria (part of the coffee family, Rubiaceae) form peaceful and productive partnerships with multiple aggressive ant species simply by physically ...
Condo-style living helps keep the peace inside these ant plants
2025-07-10
Odd 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.
Scientists studying ant plants in Fiji have discovered one way that a host plant can keep the peace among residents that might otherwise kill each other. By providing separate chambers inside a gradually enlarging tuber -- each chamber with an entry hole from the outside but no connection to any adjacent chamber -- the Squamellaria plant prevents conflicts between the multiple ant species that ...
Climate change action could dramatically limit rising UK heatwave deaths
2025-07-10
A new study suggests that, under realistic scenarios of high emissions and socioeconomic development, annual heat-related deaths in the U.K. could rise to about 50 times current rates by the 2070s, but that climate change mitigation and adaptation could significantly limit this rise. Rebecca Cole of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Climate.
Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and more intense in coming decades in the U.K. ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Study unexpectedly finds living in rural, rather than urban environments in first five years of life could be a risk factor for developing type 1 diabetes
Editorial urges deeper focus on heart-lung interactions in pulmonary vascular disease
Five University of Tennessee faculty receive Fulbright Awards
5 advances to protect water sources, availability
OU Scholar awarded Fulbright for Soviet cinema research
Brain might become target of new type 1 diabetes treatments
‘Shore Wars:’ New research aims to resolve coastal conflict between oysters and mangroves, aiding restoration efforts
Why do symptoms linger in some people after an infection? A conversation on post-acute infection syndromes
Study reveals hidden drivers of asthma flare-ups in children
Physicists decode mysterious membrane behavior
New insights about brain receptor may pave way for next-gen mental health drugs
Melanoma ‘sat-nav’ discovery could help curb metastasis
When immune commanders misfire: new insights into rheumatoid arthritis inflammation
SFU researchers develop a new tool that brings blender-like lighting control to any photograph
Pups in tow, Yellowstone-area wolves trek long distances to stay near prey
AI breakthrough unlocks 'new' materials to replace lithium-ion batteries
Making molecules make sense: A regional explanation method reveals structure–property relationships
Partisan hostility, not just policy, drives U.S. protests
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: August 1, 2025
Young human blood serum factors show potential to rejuvenate skin through bone marrow
Large language models reshape the future of task planning
Narrower coverage of MS drugs tied to higher relapse risk
Researchers harness AI-powered protein design to enhance T-cell based immunotherapies
Smartphone engagement during school hours among US youths
Online reviews of health care facilities
MS may begin far earlier than previously thought
New AI tool learns to read medical images with far less data
Announcing XPRIZE Healthspan as Tier 5 Sponsor of ARDD 2025
Announcing Immortal Dragons as Tier 4 Sponsor of ARDD 2025
Reporting guideline for chatbot health advice studies
[Press-News.org] Tiny parasitoid flies show how early-life competition shapes adult successNew study reveals early competition affects growth and survival in a predatory fly species