Will the butterfly remember, as were caterpillars?
It is possible that butterflies, really, remember the stage of the larva. Even proof of this. At least, female fruit ermine moths, tobacco brahnik, gold rods and jever wavy prefer to postpone eggs on the type of plants that fed at the caterpillar stage. They rush in advance to the desired, that is, the one that serves as feed for the tracks of the next generation. And it greatly facilitates females life. (Look at the photo project "My Planet" about the most unexpected and beautiful transformations of caterpillars in butterflies. Do not forget to click on the picture to change the image. By the way, do you know where the pattern is taken on the wings of butterflies?)
Scientists have advanced different hypotheses on how butterfly manage to choose the type of plants with which they fed, being caterpillars. As a result, the majority came to the conclusion that the reason is simple – memorization. The caterpillars produced a conditional reflex that binds the smell of a certain type of plants with food. When the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, the reflex is transmitted to it. Although the transfer process itself is not easy.
Stages of the larvae, that is, caterpillars, and an adult insect in butterflies (as well as the beetles, flies and other insects with a complete transformation) separated by the stage of the pupa. At this point, most larval organs and tissues are destroyed, and the nutrients formed are used for the growth and development of an adult insect organs, that is, metamorphosis occurs. However, the central nervous system ensuring the existence of conditional reflexes, it is destroyed the least and continues to function throughout the metamorphosis throughout. Therefore, it is quite possible to serve as a carrier of information about the smell of feed, which is transmitted from the caterpillar to the butterfly. By the way, you know that among the butterflies there are real travelers? Some species overcome for their lives not one thousand kilometers! Including good to all of us familiar butterfly reurenish.
And the last. Butterflies are not the only one who prefers to eat the same plants that their caterpillars. Some types of beetles and flies have a similar ability, including the fruit flies of the Drozophile.
About how the world see the representatives of the animal world, "my planet" already wrote.
