🚨🪲🧬🦠 We have a new preprint out! Link: doi.org/10.64898/202... Insects and microbes are more connected than we realize. Some insects owe part of their ability to feed on plants to genes acquired from bacteria millions of years ago 🤯 See what we found about glycoside hydrolases in leafhoppers.

So many emotions right now. I had almost given up hope that this one would get funded. Feeling relief, excitement to do the science, gratitude to everyone on the inside trying to hold NIH together, survivor's guilt. All the things.

Excited to share my final (and my favorite) PhD chapter, where we analysed male Bicyclus anynana butterfly spermatophore proteins, and its compositional plasticity following information acquired during the males' past social interactions (via mate preference learning), and his cryptic preferences!

bioRxiv Animal Behavior and Cognition@biorxiv-behav.bsky.social · last wk.

Proteomic consequences of male mate preference learning and female phenotype in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.26.739888v1

We just released a new open resource for studying evolution, ecology, colour, behaviour & biodiversity. OzButterflies 🦋 ✨ 4,000+ individuals 🌈 Visible + UV images 🧬 CO1 barcodes 📈 Spectral reflectance data 🏞️ 125 species doi.org/10.1093/data... @mherberstein.bsky.social @livuni-ives.bsky.social

I loved writing this! Make sure to watch the videos! 🦋🧪

Stephen Montgomery@ebablab.bsky.social · last wk.

A very nice observation and write up of gaurding behaviour in #Heliconius sapho by @ficusorganensis.bsky.social! esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...

Replication studies: a win-win for early-career training and behavioral ecology

Replicating previous research builds confidence that results are real and meaningful. But close replications are rare due to limitations in resources and d

academic.oup.com

Kate Laskowski@katelaskowski.bsky.social · 2w ago

For anyone that missed my talk at @isbe2026.bsky.social - never you fear! You can watch my talk and read more about the new Replication Studies section at @behavecol.bsky.social right here! laskowskilab.faculty.ucdavis.edu/2026/07/22/r...

Application of the Bradley-Terry model to quantify components of sperm competition https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736847v1

First paper from the Kasimatis Lab is now online! We investigate of the maintenance of mate plugging in C. elegans along with its function www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

A Male Expressed Copulatory Plug Increases Female Fertility in Caenorhabditis Nematodes

The genomes of self-fertilizing hermaphrodites offer a unique opportunity to probe why some genes with sex-specific functions are lost while others are maintained. In the androdiecious species, Caenor...

biorxiv.org

📣 POSTDOC position available in the Feschotte Lab at Cornell to work on #TRANSPOSONS! More details below. Pls send informal application or inquiry ASAP by DM or email to cf458_at_cornell.edu. Pls spread the word 🙏 #TEsky www.thefeschottelabatcornell.com

What happens if the germline goes on without (most of the) piRNAs for 45 generations? Come find out at my talk at the evolution session on Saturday at #dros26 @genetics-gsa.bsky.social 🪰🔬🔎⁉️🤔

For a new MBE Review, Presgraves et al. argue that many features of genome evolution, content, and organization seemingly inexplicable by adaptation or nearly neutral processes are instead best accounted for by meiotic drive. 🔗 academic.oup.com/mbe/article/... #evobio #molbio

Sperm attraction by female reproductive fluid in a fish with an unconventional fertilisation strategy https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.27.708519v1

Excited to share some new results on the transcriptomic causes of variation in male mate preference learning, using these beautiful Heliconius butterflies! doi.org/10.64898/202...

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology@biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Neurotranscriptomic signatures of natural variation in mate preference learning in two subspecies of Heliconius melpomene butterflies https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.15.706038v1

Evolution of Reproductive Plasticity in a Seasonal Tropical Environment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.20.700078v1

Day 6 of #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social and I am finally presenting, on my last PhD chapter, and my current postdoctoral work at 11:45 AM in Hall 2. If anyone is interested in butterflies, flies, ejaculate, brain, and behaviour, do come to my talk 😁🦋🪰🧠 @asab.org @wolfnerlab.bsky.social

Kanika Rawat talks about whether stress experienced in one stage is carried over to the next stage in metamorphosis using mosquito larvae! A case for cellular epigenetic inheritance as defined by Eva Jablonka? #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

@josharbon.bsky.social spoke on intergroup interactions in African mongooses #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Gokul Valiya Parambil gave an amazing talk on weapons use and aggression behaviours in Rock Agamas! #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Gokul Bhaskaran gave a brilliant talk on the similarities and differences in predatory aggression and conspecific aggression (both intermale and maternal aggression) in bank voles #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Dinesh Rao spoke about how insects avoid their "not so" conspicuous (conspicuous to us) predators (obviously by considering their umwelt) #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Dheeraj C. L tells us how sexual signalling is affected by predation risk in Agamas, by using incredibly funny cartoons 😂 #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Anoushka Datta spoke about the correlative effects of predation (active vs ambush predators) and competition in anti-predatory behaviours of mosquito larvae #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Andrew Spires talks about kinship and aggression in fruitflies #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org g

Lizards as pest control, Jugaad (and extortion) in Macaques, seed dispersing tortoises on the hunt for mango jelly, aggressive potential queens, and the power of press releases. A great selection of talks in the Animal Congition and its implications symposium at #Behaviour2025

@harishprakashhp.bsky.social talks about movement of mesocarnivores in a mosiac and human shaped landscapes! And students, go check out his new lab at GITAM in Vizag! #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Shruti Unnikrishnan spoke about contrasting dominance structures in two primitively eusocial paper wasp species. #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

@coldbloodedcog.bsky.social talks about cognition in Red-footed tortoise in the context of seed dispersal. And these tortoise love mango jelly! #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Anindya "Rana" Sinha gave an excellent historical account and used vernacular ethology in his talk on Macaques in India!

Moths with an eye for symmetry? 🌸 Join me this Saturday, the 30th, at #Behaviour2025 @behaviour2025.bsky.social to hear all about it

Day 5 of #Behaviour2025 kicks off with a plenary by @samellisq.bsky.social on a question that I have thought about many times. Why does menopause evolve in some species but not in others? And how do social structures and conflict contribute to their evolution? @behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org