Children and butterfly larva are entirely different in mindset and physical appearance and body function as well. Being a kid, I enjoyed many marvels in nature. My curiosity sprang out as I saw a green spongy mass in one of the Sesbania leaves that my mother plucked from our tree for a lovely dish. It was a caterpillar much more similar to butterfly Larva.
The caterpillar was so spongy, I felt like cutting it into pieces. I was not guilty of that very first thought on that day, because I was a small kid back then. Later, I trapped him inside a plastic jar and gave him food as Sesbania leaves. Unknowingly, the larva grew into a butterfly and I was astonished to see a butterfly with buttercream colored wings. I knew that my pet, “the larva” was quite intelligent. But, now I am a grown-up.
Today, I understand why he developed into a butterfly. The larva decided to grow because I supplied all the favorable conditions for his survival. But, some larva won’t grow into an adult butterfly. One may think it is due to the effect of the environment all the time. But, it’s a complex decision-making mechanism of butterfly larva.
The decision-Making mechanism in animals
It is a ubiquitous mechanism that exists in nature and it is present at varying intensities in each and every animal. It’s versatile according to the type of natural event. Therefore, it happens during foraging, mating events (Choosing a mating partner), choice of egg substrates, predation, etc.
Our daily life loops over the decisions we make. It’s a known fact that by experience, making decisions at the right moment without any delay would change our lives or sometimes will become a game-changer. For animals like butterflies, it makes it possible to adjust the growth rate in good time to reach the reproductive stage while it is still favorable.
This is the basic theory that lays the foundation for better survival strategies in butterflies as far as the decision-making mechanism is concerned. They are biologically adapted to make decisions before they become functional. These sorts of decisions which are made during the early stages of life, are technically referred to as “Crossroad decisions”. They affect the growth and development patterns. They will cause long-term implications for the individual as they affect the timeline of their life.
Cross-Road Decisions in butterfly larva are associated with the “Larval Pathway Decision of Insects”.
Larval Pathway Decision of Butterflies
The life cycle of a butterfly
The larval pathway decision of butterflies will be made during the larval stage depending on the conditions they experience which are related to seasonal cues. Seasonal cues are due to varying lengths in the day. If there is a long day length along with high ambient temperatures, the larva decides to acquire the adult emergence without any delay.
But this condition is entirely different for short day lengths and lower temperatures as they sense that winter is approaching. It will be difficult for them to survive during harsh winters. Therefore, their growth is hampered by the decision taken by them to postpone the adult emergence, and diapause (It is a state of quiescence along with the cessation of their growth and development ) will be promoted.
Apart from the above, they think about their future offspring being able to complete their growth and development to reach the species-specific diapause stage before the onset of the winter. Based on that, they develop into reproductive adults.
So, this pathway is the decision made in order to assess whether to continue growth and development into the adult stage based on the above factors.
Wonders of nature are highly sophisticated, yet simple enough to control the mental stability of our minds meticulously. Basic mechanisms driving these biological specialized functions of these mind-appealing butterflies are yet to be discovered as there is a huge effect of natural selection and evolution on them as the strong pillar. Curiosity is stirred up by the very thought of having the intention to unravel many such mysteries, especially in mind-blowing creatures like butterflies. Although humans call themselves superior, our decision-making ability can be related to that of butterfly larva though it is not advanced as in humans.
Written by: Nanduni Chandrasiri
- Magne Friberg, I. M. (2011). Asymmetric life-history decision-making in butterfly Larvae. PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY, 301–310.
- Walter, M. (1997). The Life cycle of moths and butterflies.
