Deceptive Seduction by Fireflies and Its Avoidance by Males of a Synchronous Firefly Species (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

female fireflies attract males of different firefly species by responding to their flashing signals; then, they try to capture and feed on them. This aggressive mimicry is considered a major selective pressure on the communication systems of the fireflies of the American continent. The intensity of this selective pressure is a function of its efficiency in prey capture.

Super-enhancer-driven expression of BAHCC1 promotes melanoma cell proliferation and genome stability.

Super-enhancers (SEs) are stretches of enhancers ensuring a high level of expression of key genes associated with cell function. The identification of cancer-specific SE-driven genes is a powerful means for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Here, we identify a MITF/SOX10/TFIIH-dependent SE promoting the expression of BAHCC1 in a broad panel of melanoma cells.

Elevated Tacrolimus Blood Concentration Due to the Interaction with Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir During COVID-19 Treatment: A Case Report.

Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, a newly authorized drug for the treatment of COVID-19, is a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor that can interact with many drugs, such as tacrolimus, reducing its metabolism. The reported case is a renal transplant patient who experienced a strong increase in tacrolimus blood concentration (up to 112ng/mL, more than ten times above the target range) when treated with both drugs at the same time, which caused a neurologic condition that required hospital admission for its control and treatment. The resolution of the symptoms was rapid, but the elevation of tacrolimus concentration remained for several days, even after discontinuing both drugs.

Female Fireflies Hunt Males of the Synchronous Firefly (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

() are female fireflies that hunt and feed on the males of other firefly species that they attract by responding with glows or flashes to their bioluminescent signals. Here, we present field observations demonstrating that females are of male , a synchronous firefly exploited as a tourist attraction in the mountains of central Mexico. We show that the hunting success of the is low, as observed in previous studies, suggesting that the impact of predation on the prey population is low.

The Functional Morphology of the Bursa Copulatrix of a Butterfly That Does Not Digest Spermatophores (, Pieridae).

The bursa copulatrix of female Lepidoptera is a complex organ where crucial male-female reproductive interactions occur during and after copulation. The bursa copulatrix receives, stores, and digests the spermatophore and other substances transferred by the male during copulation, and is involved in changes in female receptivity, ovogenesis, and oviposition. Although females of the butterfly do not digest the spermatophore, they possess a prominent signum.

Atypical functioning of female genitalia explains monandry in a butterfly.

Monandrous species are rare in nature, especially in animals where males transfer nutrients to females in the ejaculate. The proximate mechanisms responsible for monandry are poorly studied. In butterflies and moths, the male transfers a nutritious spermatophore into the corpus bursae (CB) of the female.

The size of signal detection and emission organs in a synchronous firefly: sexual dimorphism, allometry and assortative mating.

The size of the organs responsible for emitting and detecting sexual communication signals is a likely target for selection. Communication via bioluminescent signals in synchronous fireflies is a promising model to test hypotheses regarding differences between males and females in the effect of the size of signal emission and detection organs on fitness components. Synchronous firefly species congregate in large numbers during the mating season, displaying bioluminescent signals aimed at potential mates during relatively short nightly periods.

Strategic adjustment of copulatory plug size in a nematode.

Copulatory plugs (CP) are substances produced during copulation that block the genital openings of the female. In several species of Nematoda, males produce CP that are thought to impede female remating and thus sperm competition. The relatively large size of the CP in several nematodes, and its evolutionary loss in self-fertilizing populations of , suggests that CP are costly to produce.

False head complexity and evidence of predator attacks in male and female hairstreak butterflies (Lepidoptera: Theclinae: Eumaeini) from Mexico.

In many butterfly species, the posterior end of the hindwings of individuals perching with their wings closed resembles a butterfly head. This "false head" pattern is considered an adaptation to deflect predator attacks to less vulnerable parts of the body. The presence of symmetrical damage in left and right wings is considered evidence of failed predator attacks to perching butterflies.

Two-headed butterfly vs. mantis: do false antennae matter?

The colour patterns and morphological peculiarities of the hindwings of several butterfly species result in the appearance of a head at the rear end of the insect's body. Although some experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that the "false head" deflects predator attacks towards the rear end of the butterfly, more research is needed to determine the role of the different components of the "false head". We explored the role of hindwing tails (presumably mimicking antennae) in predator deception in the "false head" butterfly .

Sexual coevolution of spermatophore envelopes and female genital traits in butterflies: Evidence of male coercion?

Signa are sclerotized structures located on the inner wall of the corpus bursa of female Lepidoptera whose main function is tearing open spermatophores. The sexually antagonistic coevolution (SAC) hypothesis proposes that the thickness of spermatophore envelopes has driven the evolution of the females signa; this idea is based in the fact that in many lepidopterans female sexual receptivity is at least partially controlled by the volume of ejaculate remaining in the corpus bursa. According to the SAC hypothesis, males evolved thick spermatophore envelopes to delay the post-mating recovery of female sexual receptivity thus reducing sperm competition; in response, females evolved signa for breaking spermatophore envelopes faster, gaining access to the resources contained in them and reducing their intermating intervals; the evolution of signa, in turn, favored the evolution of even thicker spermatophore envelopes, and so on.

Enigmatic liaisons in Lepidoptera: a review of same-sex courtship and copulation in butterflies and moths.

Same-sex sexual interactions (SSSI) have been observed in many animal groups and have intrigued evolutionists. In this paper, reports on SSSI in Lepidoptera are reviewed and evolutionary hypotheses that could explain these behaviors are discussed. SSSI have been documented in males of 25 species and in females from role-reversed populations of one species.

Genetic variation in a female genital trait evolved by sexual coevolution.

Understanding the patterns of genetic variation of traits subject to sexual selection is fundamental for explaining its evolutionary dynamics and potential for sexual coevolution. The signa of female Lepidoptera are sclerotized structures located on the inner surface of the genital receptacle that receives the spermatophore during copulation (the corpus bursae), whose main function is tearing the spermatophore envelope. Comparative data indicate that the evolution of signa has been influenced by sexually antagonistic coevolution with spermatophore envelopes.

The evolution of a female genital trait widely distributed in the Lepidoptera: comparative evidence for an effect of sexual coevolution.

Background: Sexual coevolution is considered responsible for the evolution of many male genital traits, but its effect on female genital morphology is poorly understood. In many lepidopterans, females become temporarily unreceptive after mating and the length of this refractory period is inversely related to the amount of spermatophore remaining in their genital tracts. Sperm competition can select for males that delay female remating by transferring spermatophores with thick spermatophore envelopes that take more time to be broken.

On the function of cornuti, sclerotized structures of the endophallus of Lepidoptera.

The genitalia of many male insects include structures whose functions are unknown or poorly understood. The endophallus of many Lepidoptera bears sclerotized structures known as cornuti, which in some species break off during copulation and remain within the female genital tract ("deciduous" cornuti). I describe previous and original hypotheses on the role of cornuti, identify the selective pressures invoked by these hypotheses, propose different ways of testing them and briefly review pertinent evidence.

Experimental manipulation of male behaviour during copulation in Stenomacra marginella (Heteroptera: Largidae): effect on copula duration, female remating and oviposition.

Apparently stimulatory male copulatory behaviour (MCB) is widespread among arthropods and it could help males to increase their fitness by inducing favourable behavioural and physiological changes in females. The empirical study of female responses to MCB is hindered because its experimental manipulation is difficult. We have developed a technique for reducing, with minimal disturbance, the frequency of MCB in the true bug Stenomacra marginella.

The evolutionary origin of signa in female Lepidoptera: natural and sexual selection hypotheses.

Signa are structures of the inner wall of the female corpus bursae (structure where males deposit a spermatophore during copulation) of many Lepidoptera that assist in tearing open spermatophores. In this paper, three hypotheses on the evolutionary origin of signa are proposed. The first hypothesis considers natural selection pressures arising from ecological changes that favor an increase in oviposition rate as the force behind the evolution of signa.