During the dramatic transformation from caterpillar to moth, memories and minds remain at least somewhat intact, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal PloS ONE, found that moths and perhaps butterflies often recall what they learn as ground-dwelling insects, revealing how resilient memory may be.
"Caterpillars are built for crawling and chewing plant material, while moths and butterflies are built for flying and drinking nectar," says Dr Douglas Blackiston from
Georgetown University,
The morphing caterpillar's brain also grows in size and complexity to reflect the insect's drastic lifestyle transition.
The researchers conditioned the caterpillars to avoid the chemical ethyl acetate, which smells like pear juice
After the caterpillars morphed into moths, the scientists exposed them to the chemical again
Insects that had been conditioned before
they were three weeks old
did not avoid the chemical, while those conditioned after
appeared to retain the memory
clipped from: www.abc.net.au 