New research suggests that heat stress increases the occurrence of same-sex sexual interactions between male burying beetles – but also that a surprising amount of male-male encounters occur under control conditions. This ongoing project is currently investigating whether a possible trade-off between heat-protection and social communication cuticular hydrocarbons may be involved in possible sex recognition errors, and if these behaviours may result in any costs to reproductive success.

New research finds that the “silent” mutant male crickets of Hawaii, first observed over 20 years ago, have now become well-established across the Hawaiian islands, and that the reproductive challenges caused by a lack of courtship song may be offset by a much earlier maturation into adulthood, providing a wider window for breeding opportunities. This research also reveals the existence of multiple different sound-reducing morphs, all with their own unique mutations that disrupt the cricket’s ability to create songs.

A new study reveals that exposing dwarf spiders to a brief period of warm temperatures can disrupt a phenomenon where internal bacteria normally force genetic males to develop as females. Surprisingly, this reproductive disruption skips the directly heated spiders and hits their children and grandchildren instead, leading to a sudden comeback of male offspring. The temporary heat scrambles the spiders' internal microscopic ecosystem, allowing a rival bacterium to surge ahead and block the feminizing bacteria from taking over.