Red meat: Evolution’s double-edged sword
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 6-Jun-2026 06:15 ET (6-Jun-2026 10:15 GMT/UTC)
For the first time, scientists have documented rice plants actively trapping and killing fall armyworm caterpillars.
Researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station found that roughly half of young caterpillars on rice plants become ensnared by microscopic hairs, or trichomes, on an open rice spikelet—where the grain develops—and die when the spikelet later closes.
The researchers hypothesize the insects are drawn to the spikelet by floral scents released from the floret. Published in the journal Ecological Processes, the study opens the door to new research on alternative pest‑control strategies against fall armyworm, an insect that has developed resistance to many chemical controls.
Research has found that children with higher genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia show decreases in frontal cortical surface area during early adolescence, in contrast to the regional expansion observed in children with low genetic susceptibility. This suggests that individuals with high genetic liability for schizophrenia may already show deviations in their neurodevelopmental trajectories before symptoms typically appear in young adulthood. The findings from the new study in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, provide critical insights for refining developmental models of schizophrenia and for informing the timing of preventive interventions.