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 ...

John E. Woodmansee Photo: Tobacco hornworm on a tomato plant that has been attacked by a parasitic Braconid wasp. The white capsules on its back are the pupal stage of the tiny wasp. Braconid larvae ...

When a caterpillar hatches from its egg, it spends the first few weeks of its life eating as much as it physically can. Then, it hangs itself upside down from a leaf or stem and sheds its outer skin ...

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 ...

entmain copy 39088019137645 purchased with funds from the S. Dillon Ripley Endowment. Contents 1. The evolution of ideas on insect metamorphosis -- 2. A spectacular diversity of forms and ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. On warm summer nights, green lacewings flutter around bright lanterns in backyards and at campsites. The insects, with their veil-like ...

While it might seem like an all-or-nothing process, insect metamorphosis likely emerged through gradual evolutionary changes. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...