Cretaceous lacewing larvae with binocular vision demonstrate the convergent evolution of sophisticated simple eyes.

Many insects and their relatives are renowned for sophisticated compound eyes, which are also preserved in the fossil record. Yet there are other types of eyes, notably the so-called stemmata of holometabolans, such as beetles, bees, and butterflies. Stemmata are not as effective as compound eyes, except in some predatory larvae.

Medium-assisted scalable printing of LIPSS via femtosecond laser projection manufacturing.

Femtosecond laser has been widely applied for manufacturing micro-/nanostructures in micro-optics, microelectronics, and biomedical engineering. However, tight focusing remains restricted by efficiency, and large-field scanning with a scanning mirror sacrifices precision. In this paper, we proposed a medium-assisted femtosecond laser projection manufacturing (MA-FPM) approach, which enables the fabrication of controllable patterns that incorporate 115 nm periodic laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS).

A flexible catheter-based sensor array for upper airway soft tissues pressure monitoring.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a globally prevalent concern with significant health impacts, especially when coupled with comorbidities. Accurate detection and localization of airway obstructions are crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment, which remains a challenge for traditional sleep monitoring methods. Here, we report a catheter-based flexible pressure sensor array that continuously monitors soft tissue pressure in the upper airway and facilitates at the millimeter level.

Single-step and parallel high-speed fabrication for Au micro-/nanostructures.

Patterns fabricated with Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) exhibit significant potential in fields such as micro-optics and bioelectronics. However, the current manufacturing methods still suffer from complex processes and low efficiency. In this work, we propose a high-speed manufacturing method for Au micro-/nanostructures based on spatiotemporal focusing and maskless lithography, achieving a throughput of 0.

Group mating in Cretaceous water striders.

Fossilized mating insects are irreplaceable material for comprehending the evolution of the mating behaviours and life-history traits in the deep-time record of insects as well as the potential sexual conflict. However, cases of mating pairs are particularly rare in fossil insects, especially aquatic or semi-aquatic species. Here, we report the first fossil record of a group of water striders in copulation (including three pairs and a single adult male) based on fossils from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar.

Auto-focusing femtosecond laser manufacturing system via acoustic emission technology.

Auto-focusing technology in ultrafast laser processing, especially for non-planar structures, holds paramount importance. The existing methodologies predominantly rely on optical mechanisms, thereby being limited by the original system and material reflectivity. This work proposes an approach that utilizes laser-induced sound as a feedback signal for system control, thereby circumventing the need for optical system adjustments and facilitating almost real-time tracking.

New Triassic Hylicellidae from northern China (Hemiptera, Cicadomorpha).

A new genus and species of the extinct cicadomorphan family Hylicellidae, Vetusala maculata gen. et sp. nov.

A New Sternorrhynchan Genus and Species from the Triassic Period of China That Is Likely Related to Protopsyllidioid (Insecta, Hemiptera).

gen. et sp. nov.

The earliest known brood care in insects.

Brood care enhances offspring fitness and survival by providing protection or feeding through parents (commonly by females). It has evolved independently multiple times in animals, e.g.

Angiosperm pollinivory in a Cretaceous beetle.

Despite the crucial importance of flower-visiting insects in modern ecosystems, there is little fossil evidence on the origins of angiosperm pollination. Most reports of pollination in the Mesozoic fossil record have been based on the co-occurrence of the purported pollinators with pollen grains and assumed morphological adaptations for vectoring pollen. Here, we describe an exceptionally preserved short-winged flower beetle (Cucujoidea: Kateretidae) from mid-Cretaceous amber, Pelretes vivificus gen.

An Approach to Measuring the Point Spread Function of the Confocal Raman Microscope.

The confocal Raman microscope (CRM) is a powerful tool in analytical science. Image quality is the most important performance indicator of CRM systems. The point spread function (PSF) is one of the most useful tools to evaluate the image quality of microscopic systems.

A specialized prey-capture apparatus in mid-Cretaceous rove beetles.

Cai et al. report specialized prey-capture structures in two species of the stenine rove beetles from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The discovery provides critical information about the origin and early evolution of both the novel predatory structure and of the subfamily Steninae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).