Within its protective casing, the caterpillar radically transforms its body, eventually emerging as a butterfly or moth. But what does that ... Getting a look at this metamorphosis as it happens is difficult; disturbing a caterpillar inside its cocoon or chrysalis risks botching the transformation. read more
And I dug out a paper from the early 90s, in what used to be the Journal of Neurobiology, now called Developmental Neurobiology, that describes what changes occur in the CNS of moths during metamorphosis from caterpillars through imago (adult), going through the pupa stage. read more
In all caterpillars, this happens inside a protective shell known as a chrysalis, but the specifics differ from species to species. Let's look at the monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) as an example. read more
Getting a look at this metamorphosis as it happens is difficult; disturbing a caterpillar inside its cocoon or chrysalis risks botching the transformation. But Michael Cook, who maintains a fantastic website about silkworms, has some incredible photos of a Tussah silkmoth (Antheraea penyi) that failed to spin a cocoon. read more