Why Insect Memories May Not Survive Metamorphosis

Image credit: Equinox Graphics / Science Source. Article by Yasemin Saplakoglu. Quanta Magazine – July 26, 2023. Source: Research article published in the journal eLife.

Complete metamorphosis transforms caterpillars into butterflies, reshaping not only the bodies of the insects but their behaviors and identities. New work reveals in detail for the first time how metamorphosis remodels brains.

On warm summer nights, green lacewings flutter around bright lanterns in backyards and at campsites. The insects, with their veil-like wings, are easily distracted from their natural preoccupation with sipping on flower nectar, avoiding predatory bats and reproducing. […]

Click here to view original web page at www.quantamagazine.org