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Parasitoid wasps are exceptionally diverse and use specialized adaptations capable of manipulating the physiology and behaviour of host organisms1. In more than two centuries since the first records of Drosophila-parasitizing wasps, nearly 200 described and provisional parasitoid species of drosophilids have been identified2. These include endoparasitoids and ectoparasitoids, as well as species attacking larval and pupal hosts3. Despite a deep history of research attention and remarkable biodiversity, a wasp species that attacks and develops inside the adult stage of a fly host has not been described previously. Here we report the discovery of a wasp species that infects the adult stage of fruit flies in the genus Drosophila, including one of the most deeply studied model organisms in biology, Drosophila melanogaster. Notably, this wasp can be easily collected from backyard fly baits and has a broad geographic distribution throughout the eastern USA. We document its life history and unique host interactions, including egg-laying into and larval emergence from adult flies, and provide protocols to raise wasps from wild-caught host flies. Our results emphasize the need for ongoing research investment in insect biodiversity and systematics. As parasitoid research continues to uncover unusual biology and supports fundamental mechanistic insights into immunity4, metabolism5, ecology6, evolution7–9and behaviour10–12, we anticipate that this wasp’s association with the laboratory model organism, D.melanogaster, will provide new research opportunities across the life sciences.

A new species of AleiodesWesmael in the gastritorThunberg species-group is described and illustrated. The new species, Aleiodes ceresShimbori sp.n., occurs in Southern Brazil and Argentina. It is a potential biological control agent of caterpillars in the genus SpodopteraGuenée, namely S. cosmioides(Walker), S. eridania(Stoll), and S. frugiperda(J.E. Smith), which are serious pests on major crops including maize and soybean. The position of the new species within Aleiodesis discussed in relation to existing proposals of subdivisions of the genus into species-groups. In agreement with recent publications, the gastritorspecies-group is treated as separate from the circumscriptusNees/bicolorSpinola group, as evidence suggests the latter is absent in the New World. We also propose the provisional shakiraeShimbori & Shaw species-group, to accommodate a clade of Neotropical species with geometrid hosts and morphological features similar to the gastritorand circumscriptusgroups. A key to Neotropical species in the gastritorgroup and similar species is provided, except for species recently named without a morphological description.

A useful protocol for achieving decarboxylative cross-coupling (DCC) of redox-active esters (RAE, isolated or generated in situ) and halo(hetero)arenes is reported. This pragmatically focused study employs a unique Ag–Ni electrocatalytic platform to overcome numerous limitations that have plagued this strategically powerful transformation. In its optimized form, coupling partners can be combined in a surprisingly simple way: open to the air, using technical-grade solvents, an inexpensive ligand and Ni source, and substoichiometric AgNO3, proceeding at room temperature with a simple commercial potentiostat. Most importantly, all of the results are placed into context by benchmarking with state-of-the-art methods. Applications are presented that simplify synthesis and rapidly enable access to challenging chemical space. Finally, adaptation to multiple scale regimes, ranging from parallel milligram-based synthesis to decagram recirculating flow is presented.

Here we describe the synthesis, structures, and reactivity of Ru complexes containing a triaryl, redox-active S2N2ligand derived from o-phenylenediamine and thioanisole subunits. The coordination chemistry of N,N′-bis[2-(methylthio)phenyl]-1,2-diaminobenzene [H2(MeSNNSMe)] was established by treating RuCl2(PPh3)3with H2(MeSNNSMe) to yield {Ru[H2(MeSNNSMe)]Cl(PPh3)}Cl (1). Coordinated H2(MeSNNSMe) was sequentially deprotonated to form Ru[H(MeSNNSMe)]Cl(PPh3) (2) followed by the five-coordinate, square pyramidal complex Ru(MeSNNSMe)(PPh3) (3). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed that the ligand structurally rearranged around the metal at each deprotonation step to conjugate the adjacent aryl groups with the o-phenylenediamine backbone. Deprotonation of 2with NaBH4or treatment of 3with BH3·tetrahydrofuran (THF) yielded Ru[(μ-H)BH2](MeSNNSMe)(PPh3) (5) with BH3bound across a Ru–N bond in a metal–ligand cooperative fashion. The cyclic voltammogram of 3in THF revealed three redox events consistent with one-electron oxidations and reductions of the o-phenylenediamine backbone and the metal (Ru3+/Ru2+). Reactions of 3with CO, HBF4, and benzoic acid yielded the new complexes Ru(MeSNNSMe)(CO)(PPh3), {Ru[H(MeSNNSMe)](PPh3)(THF)}BF4, and Ru[H(MeSNNSMe)](PPh3)(PhCO2), indicating broader suitability for small molecule binding and reactivity studies. Subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry data are reported in addition to molecular structures obtained from single-crystal XRD studies.

Metal–ligand cooperativity (MLC) relies on chemically reactive ligands to assist metals with small-molecule binding and activation, and it has facilitated unprecedented examples of catalysis with metal complexes. Despite growing interest in combining ligand-centered chemical and redox reactions for chemical transformations, there are few studies demonstrating how chemically engaging redox active ligands in MLC affects their electrochemical properties when bound to metals. Here we report stepwise changes in the redox activity of model Ru complexes as zero, one, and two BH3molecules undergo MLC binding with a triaryl noninnocent N2S2ligand derived from o-phenylenediamine (L1). A similar series of Ru complexes with a diaryl N2S2ligand with ethylene substituted in place of phenylene (L2) is also described to evaluate the influence of the o-phenylenediamine subunit on redox activity and MLC. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that MLC attenuates ligand-centered redox activity in both series of complexes, but electron transfer is still achieved when only one of the two redox-active sites on the ligands is chemically engaged. The results demonstrate how incorporating more than one multifunctional reactive site could be an effective strategy for maintaining redox noninnocence in ligands that are also chemically reactive and competent for MLC.

In this work, superwicking and antireflective properties are achieved on engineering metal surfaces by creating a surface pattern using a high energy nanosecond pulsed laser followed by a chemical immersion treatment. The high-energy nanosecond pulse laser scans the metal surface in air. Subsequently, the laser-textured surface is further treated by immersion in a 3-cyanopropyltricholosilane reagent. As a result of these two processes, microgrooves with micro- and nano-scale surface features are generated on the metal surface. Due to the created surface structure and favorable surface chemistry, water sprints uphill defying the gravity. The fast self-propelling movement of water is due to the supercapillary effect of the surface microchannel and the superhydrophilic surface nitrile group. The wicking effect on the processed surface follows the classical square root of time dependence. The processed surface shows good antireflective properties in the visible and infrared spectrum. Surface features, surface chemistry, wettability, surface reflectivity and wicking behavior are measured on AA6061 and Ti-6Al-4V specimens through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle goniometer, UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer and high-speed camera, respectively.

Developing affordable electrocatalysts to facilitate the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to high-value products with high selectivity, efficiency, and large current densities is a critical step for the production of liquid carbon-based fuels. In this work, we show that inexpensive post-transition metals [tin (Sn) and lead (Pb)] and their alloys (PbSn) are excellent cathode materials to reduce CO2in an ionic liquid/acetonitrile/water electrolyte media. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements show that the PbSn alloys exhibit lower charge-transfer resistance when compared to the pure metal electrodes, as supported by electronic structure calculations. Current densities as high as 60 mA/cm2are observed with optimal mixtures of ionic liquid, acetonitrile, and water. Reduction product analysis identifies carbon monoxide (CO) and formate (HCOO−) as primary reduced products, with higher selectivity toward formate. Faradaic efficiency for formate on pure Pb and pure Sn was determined to be 80 ± 4 and 86 ± 3%, respectively. FE % improves as either Pb is incorporated into Sn or vice versa, and there is a maximum FE of 91 ± 3% for both 50 and 40% Pb composition.

In this work, an innovative high-throughput laser surface nanostructuring process was developed to enhance the hydrophobicity and reduce the reflectivity of the Ti-6Al-4V surface using a nanosecond pulse laser. The laser textured Ti-6Al-4V surfaces exhibit combined anti-reflective, highly hydrophobic and mechanically enhanced effects. In the meantime, the anti-reflective Ti-6Al-4V surfaces show different colors when treated by different laser processing parameters. Compared with the existing ultra-short laser-based surface-texturing methods which often rely on the generation of micro-scale patterns using a focused laser spot and very fine spatial resolution, this innovative laser surface treatment method significantly increases the processing speed and reduces the production cost. This novel process will bring a new avenue for controlling the surface color, wettability and mechanical property of the important engineering surfaces.

The catalytic activity of room-temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([EMIM][OTf]) for carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is reported on a polycrystalline silver electrode as a function of the water content and solution pH. The optimal aqueous dilution was determined to be ca. 10% (v/v), resulting in a reduction of the overpotential required to reduce CO2in [EMIM][OTf] by 400 mV. The reduction process and products are largely insensitive to pH. CO2reduction in [EMIM][OTf] with 10% 0.1 M NaHCO3is achieved with high selectivity for CO with 93.0 ± 4.6% Faradaic efficiency. Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is suppressed in the range of neat [EMIM][OTf] (500 ppm water content) to a [EMIM][OTf]/H2O mixture of 10% water content. Conductivity and viscosity of the [EMIM][OTf]/H2O mixture suggest that the ionic liquid ion pair fully dissociates, analogous to dilute KCl solution, where each ion is completely hydrated by water molecules.