A study appearing in the June 2006 issue of the "International Journal of Radiation and Biology" analyzed the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on the development of larvae from Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly. Researchers exposed the larvae to 10 GHz EMFs both at continuous and non-continuous intervals and determined the abilities of the larvae to transition to the pupae stage of development. The study found that the transition from the larval stage to pupae was delayed by EMF exposure and that non-continuous exposure significantly decreased the number of viable larvae.
An April 1983 study published in "Bioelectromagnetics" investigated the effects of magnetism on the development of D. melanogaster eggs to the larval stage and on the larval stage to the development of pupae. Researchers used magnetic fields of 100 Hz and found that eggs subjected to magnetic fields for 48 hours had a higher mortality than those receiving no exposure. They further found that larvae, when exposed to continuous magnetic fields, had an increased frequency of larval death as compared to controls. The study concluded that only 35 percent of the larvae survived constant magnetic exposure as compared to 67 percent of controls that were not exposed to the magnetic fields.
An article in the June 2010 issue of "Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine" investigated the effects of electromagnetic radiation from cell phone antennas on eggs and tadpoles from Rana temporaria, the common frog. The researchers conducted the experiment for two months, the time normally required for the development of the animals from the egg to the tadpole to adult stages. The study found that exposure to electromagnetic radiation resulted in a mortality rate of 90 percent compared to a mortality rate of only 4 percent in a control group. The authors concluded that exposure to these fields interfered with the development of the animals and presents serious implications in the natural world.
The March 2006 issue of "Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine" included a study to analyze the effects of magnetic fields on the development of silkworms. Researchers exposed larvae to magnetic fields ranging from 0.1 to 10 Hz for six hours per day for six days and compared them to controls that were not exposed to magnetic fields. The study found that larvae exposed to all fields had decreased feeding times, but no adverse effects on larval growth were observed.