Butterflies and moths are well known for their striking metamorphosis from caterpillars to winged adults. The drastic changes-not only in body, but also in lifestyle, diet and sensory responses-might make one think the adults forget anything they learned as a caterpillar. A moth or butterfly may be able to remember what it learned as a caterpillar, researchers say. Above, the the tobacco hornworm caterpillar, Manduca sexta. But one would be wrong. At least, that’s the conclusion of a new study by scientists at Georgetown University in Washington. They found that within limits, a moth can indeed remember what it learned as a caterpillar, which is essentially a larva. The researchers trained tobacco hornworm caterpillars to avoid particular smells by delivering them along with a mild shock. As adults, the moths also avoided the odors, showing the memory stayed, the investigators said. Similar memory capacity may well exist in butterflies, their evolutionary cousins in an order of insects called Lepidoptera, according to the scientists. ‘The intriguing idea that a caterpillar’s experiences can persist in the adult butterfly or moth captures the imagination, as it challenges a broadlyheld view of metamorphosis-that the larva essentially turns […]