News On Japan

Beetle’s 'Ear' Turns Out to Be Fungus Farm Protecting Eggs

TOKYO, Nov 08 (News On Japan) - Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and other researchers have discovered that female saw-toothed grain beetles cultivate fungi in a special organ on their hind legs, using it to coat their eggs with protective fungal filaments that block parasitic wasps from laying their own eggs inside.

This symbiotic system, in which the beetle nurtures the fungus and in turn gains protection for its offspring, reveals a sophisticated adaptation that enhances reproductive success. The finding overturns previous assumptions that the organ was an auditory structure, instead identifying it as a miniature “fungus incubator” essential for survival.

Source: 産経ニュース

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Japanese government on April 21 revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and related guidelines, in principle allowing the export of weapons with lethal capabilities. The move marks a major turning point in Japan's postwar security policy.

Footage released by the Nagano Prefectural Police mountain rescue unit captured the moment an earthquake struck during an operation to save two climbers who had fallen on a steep slope of Mount Shirouma in the Northern Alps.

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Japan's logistics sector is struggling with a severe driver shortage, driving efforts to develop autonomous trucks as a potential solution to a growing freight transport crisis.

The fleet of 190 EV buses introduced for the Osaka-Kansai Expo has been withdrawn from plans for reuse on regular routes, with Osaka Metro abandoning efforts to redeploy the vehicles after the event.

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO announced it will release its foldable smartphone “OPPO Find N6” in Japan on April 15th, marking the company’s first entry into the country’s foldable device segment.

An event aimed at bringing the mysteries of the deep sea closer to the public was held in Nago City, where a researcher who has explored oceans around the world delivered a talk.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will withdraw from Antarctic research vessel operations after nearly six decades, with private-sector entities expected to take over following the retirement of the icebreaker Shirase in fiscal 2034.

As temperatures rise, concerns about body odor return, drawing attention to a lesser-known scientific field that examines the invisible gases emitted from human skin, with Tokai University professor Yoshika Sekine leading research that could even help detect disease and stress levels.

Five years have passed since Japan’s flagship supercomputer Fugaku, based in Kobe, began full-scale operations, achieving a series of breakthroughs by simulating complex phenomena on a massive and highly precise scale, ranging from the formation of galaxies to the behavior of nerve cells.

Rising tensions in the Middle East are raising concerns over potential disruptions to medical supplies in Japan, particularly due to uncertainty surrounding naphtha used in products such as gloves and gowns, with hospitals warning that a halt in supply could significantly impact medical care while authorities move to reassure that stockpiles are sufficient for the time being.