Wasps That Pause Their Youth May Hold Key to Slower Aging todayheadline

Scientists studying jewel wasps have found that a natural pause in early development can dramatically slow the biological aging process later in life. The tiny metallic insects, known as Nasonia vitripennis, enter a dormant state called diapause as larvae when exposed to cold and darkness. This “pause button” not only extends their adult lifespan by over 35 percent, but also slows their molecular epigenetic clock by nearly 30 percent, according to a new study published July 28 in *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*.

A Natural Time-Out With Lasting Benefits

The research, led by a team at the University of Leicester, reveals that jewel wasps who experience diapause emerge into adulthood biologically younger than their peers. While some organisms like nematodes or brine shrimp can halt aging in suspended states, this study is the first to show long-term effects that persist once development resumes.

“It’s like the wasps who took a break early in life came back with extra time in the bank,” said Professor Eamonn Mallon, senior author and evolutionary biologist at the University of Leicester.

Slower Clock, Longer Life

Biological age isn’t measured by calendar years, but by changes in DNA methylation—chemical tags on the genome that accumulate over time. These patterns make up the so-called epigenetic clock, a powerful biomarker of aging.

Key findings from the study include:

• Diapause extended adult lifespan by 36 percent
• Epigenetic aging was reduced by 29 percent in post-diapause adults
• Wasps that paused during development lived an average of 8 days longer
• Changes involved nutrient-sensing pathways such as insulin/IGF and mTOR

“These results show that aging isn’t set in stone—it can be slowed by the environment, even before adulthood begins,” Mallon added.

Why Jewel Wasps Are Ideal for Aging Studies

Unlike fruit flies and worms, which lack functional DNA methylation in adulthood, *Nasonia vitripennis* has a fully operational system like humans. The short lifespan of the wasp also makes it an efficient lab model. The researchers developed a 27-gene epigenetic clock tailored to *Nasonia*, validated through rigorous statistical modeling.

Even though the diapause-exposed adults were slightly “older” on day 6 post-emergence, likely due to methylation changes during dormancy, they aged more slowly thereafter. By day 30, their biological age was almost 3 days younger than that of controls—an important margin in an insect that typically lives only 3 to 4 weeks.

How Early Life Events Shape Aging

The slowdown was not random. Clock-associated DNA regions were linked to conserved pathways that regulate growth and metabolism. One gene, PRMT1, has known connections to insulin signaling and stress resistance through FoxO, a master regulator of aging in many organisms.

The findings support the idea of “predictive adaptive responses,” where early-life conditions help program future survival strategies. Diapause may have evolved as an overwintering strategy in insects, but its side effect is a slower march of biological time.

What It Means for Human Health

While it’s a leap from wasps to people, the research hints that early-life interventions might one day help regulate the pace of aging in humans. Techniques like targeted epigenetic editing are already being explored to test whether changing the clock can directly impact healthspan and longevity.

“This study opens up new avenues for research, not just into the biology of wasps, but into the broader question of whether we might one day design interventions to slow aging at its molecular roots,” said Mallon.

With its blend of simplicity and biological relevance, *Nasonia vitripennis* is emerging as a potent new model for decoding the molecular logic of aging—one paused larva at a time.

Journal Reference

Foley EEB, Thomas CL, Kyriacou CP, Mallon EB. Larval diapause slows adult epigenetic aging in an insect model, Nasonia vitripennis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2025 Jul 28;122(31):e2513020122.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2513020122

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