Factors determining diversity of saproxylic arthropods in the fruiting bodies of the birch polypore fungus (Fomitopsis betulina).

Objective: Certain basidiomycete fungi produce semi-stable fruiting bodies, known as brackets, that support a significant quality of saproxylic invertebrate biodiversity, especially in northern forests. The objective of this investigation was to assess the drivers of saproxylic diversity within the fruiting bodies of Fomitopsis betulina. We explore which factors are significant determinants of arthropod diversity and abundance, examining the effects of sporocarp size, height above the ground, and relative isolation from neighbouring sporocarps.

Identifying trends in reporting on the ethical treatment of insects in research.

Transparent reporting on the ethical treatment of research animals (e.g., implementation of the 3Rs, replace, reduce, and refine) is recommended when publishing in peer-reviewed literature.

Allometry and ecology shape eye size evolution in spiders.

Eye size affects many aspects of visual function, but eyes are costly to grow and maintain. The allometry of eyes can provide insight into this trade-off, but this has mainly been explored in species that have two eyes of equal size. By contrast, animals possessing larger visual systems can exhibit variable eye sizes within individuals.

Grinding as a slaughter method for farmed black soldier fly () larvae: Empirical recommendations to achieve instantaneous killing.

At least 200 billion black soldier fly () larvae (BSFL) are reared each year as food and feed, and the insect farming industry is projected to grow rapidly. Despite interest by consumers, producers, and legislators, no empirical evidence exists to guide producers in practicing humane - or instantaneous - slaughter for these novel mini-livestock. BSFL may be slaughtered via freezing, boiling, grinding, or other methods; however standard operating procedures (SOPs) and equipment design may affect the likelihood of instantaneous death using these methods.

Sensory Organ Investment Varies with Body Size and Sex in the Butterfly .

In solitary insect pollinators such as butterflies, sensory systems must be adapted for multiple tasks, including nectar foraging, mate-finding, and locating host-plants. As a result, the energetic investments between sensory organs can vary at the intraspecific level and even among sexes. To date, little is known about how these investments are distributed between sensory systems and how it varies among individuals of different sex.

Artificial lighting impairs mate attraction in a nocturnal capital breeder.

Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) is increasingly recognised as having negative effects on many organisms, though the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Glow worms are likely susceptible to ALAN because females use bioluminescence to signal to attract males. We quantified the impact of ALAN by comparing the efficacy of traps that mimicked females to attract males in the presence or absence of a white artificial light source (ALS).

Metabolic rate scaling, ventilation patterns and respiratory water loss in red wood ants: activity drives ventilation changes, metabolic rate drives water loss.

Metabolic rate and its relationship with body size is a fundamental determinant of many life history traits and potentially of organismal fitness. Alongside various environmental and physiological factors, the metabolic rate of insects is linked to distinct ventilation patterns. Despite significant attention, however, the precise role of these ventilation patterns remains uncertain.

Conservative whole-organ scaling contrasts with highly labile suborgan scaling differences among compound eyes of closely related ants.

Static allometries determine how organ size scales in relation to body mass. The extent to which these allometric relationships are free to evolve, and how they differ among closely related species, has been debated extensively and remains unclear; changes in intercept appear common, but changes in slope are far rarer. Here, we compare the scaling relationships that govern the structure of compound eyes of four closely related ant species from the genus .

Colony-Level Differences in the Scaling Rules Governing Wood Ant Compound Eye Structure.

Differential organ growth during development is essential for adults to maintain the correct proportions and achieve their characteristic shape. Organs scale with body size, a process known as allometry that has been studied extensively in a range of organisms. Such scaling rules, typically studied from a limited sample, are assumed to apply to all members of a population and/or species.

Differential scaling within an insect compound eye.

Environmental and genetic influences cause individuals of a species to differ in size. As they do so, organ size and shape are scaled to available resources whilst maintaining function. The scaling of entire organs has been investigated extensively but scaling within organs remains poorly understood.

Organ homologies in orchid flowers re-interpreted using the Musk Orchid as a model.

Background and Aims. The presence of novel structures in orchid flowers, including auricles, rostellum and bursicles on the gynostemium and a lobed labellum, has prompted long-standing homology disputes, fuelled by conflicting evidence from a wide range of sources. Re-assessment of this debate using an improved model is timely, following recent phylogenetic insights and on the cusp of a revolution in developmental genetics.