Issues

Summary: During dormancy, insects vary greatly in how energy is stored and used. This Commentary discusses the current state, open questions and future directions in insect dormancy energetics research.

Summary: A meta-analysis of 300 butterfly structural colors reviews their production mechanisms and determines the color range and phylogenetic distribution for each type of structure, uncovering evolutionary implications and testable hypotheses.

Summary: To explain current species distribution patterns and predict future patterns, multilevel (behavior to molecules) biological variation in thermal responses must be paired with refined spatiotemporal analyses of habitat temperature variation.

Summary: An experimental system and a pose-estimation algorithm for measuring the flight kinematics of fruit flies are presented. This method is robust, automatic, open source and generalizable to other species.

Summary: Transcriptome analysis identifies osmoregulatory candidate genes for larval freshwater colonisation in a marine-originated goby group.

Highlighted Article: Increasing or reducing brood size affects great tit chick growth patterns but not their cellular metabolism; the number of individuals in the nest is associated with different cellular metabolic rates independently of the treatment.

Summary: Bats avoid oxidative stress in the face of a viral antigen, but experience high oxidative stress when exposed to bacterial or fungal antigens.

Summary: Antennal movements in the American cockroach highlight the active role of antennal motion in olfaction via efficient asymmetric sampling strategies, high-frequency oscillations and alteration of the odour environment structure.

Highlighted Article: Models of the energy expenditure of a small ectothermic migrant under meteorological conditions that permit movement reveal the additional cost of transport under historical and future climate conditions.

Summary: Monarch butterflies can perceive and integrate multiple environmental cues from distinct sensory modalities (gravity, light, magnetic) to facilitate and guide oriented movement.

Summary: Nuclear DNA fragmentation is strongly associated with mortality during freezing stress in freeze-sensitive insects, whereas freeze-tolerant insects can prevent this. Accumulation of proline during cold acclimation may contribute to the protection of nuclear DNA.

Summary: In many engineered power-amplified systems, the source of mechanical work and spring are distinct structures. During ex vivo dynamic muscle contractions, we found power amplification from springs within muscle itself.

Summary: Measurement of energy consumption in normothermic Eptesicus nilssonii provides evidence that the species is adapted to a wide range of low and high ambient temperatures.

Highlighted Article: Hummingbirds fly sideways to navigate through narrow gaps, which lets them continue flapping and maintain level flight. They shift to a tucked coasting strategy as they gain experience.