We have discovered a new type of steroids with contracted A-ring, the batrachane skeleton, in gular scent glands of Odontobatrachus frogs. See the identification and synthesis of various batrachodienes, potentially used as signals, in Angew. Chem. doi.org/10.1002/anie.2024170…

We congratulate Natural Product Reports on 40 years of publication with a highlight on the chemistry of springtails. Please take a look at the fascinating compounds produced by these tiny soil dwellers. doi.org/10.1039/D4NP00049H

In memory of the late Paul Weldon: This new but last joint paper describes unusual fatty acids from the scent glands of the endangered Mangshan pit viper. doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.20.222

The European cooperative program e-niche, sponsored by the EU Cost Action, has released a short video explaining why we are interested in Chemical Ecology and what it actually is. youtu.be/Cv6SIx2b-ms

Unique highly hetero-substituted benzenes are defence compounds from tiny springtails. The minute amounts available needed the combination of GC/MS, GC/IR, DFT-calculation, and synthesis to arrive at the structures. Chem. Sci. doi.org/10.1039/D4SC03182B

Urocanoate serves as starter for the unusal imidacins produced in minute amounts by Stigmatella myxobacteria. The could only be identified by total synthesis. See Org. Lett. doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.…

Springtails are great terpene chemists, but can synthesize also other stuff. See our analysis of 23 species in iScience and their unique cuticular chemistry. It needs organic analysis and synthesis to decipher their compounds. @ChemEcol_org https://doi.o10.1016/j.isci.2024.110416

A unique cuticular hydrocarbon from the springtail Heteromurus nitidus. This new terpene type, a prenylated geranylated diterpene, highlights differences between Collembola and more advanced insects. See our article in J Nat Prod. doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod…

The hybrid Heliconius elevatus is stable and sympatric with its parents: H. pardalinus contributes 99% of the genome, while the 1% originating from H. melpomene contain ecological traits including sex pheromones and mate choice. Nature doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-0…