Low oxygen triggers moth molt: Caterpillars have a respiratory system that is fixed in size
Monday, August 22, 2011 - 18:30
in Biology & Nature
A new explanation for one of nature's most mysterious processes, the transformation of caterpillars into moths or butterflies, might best be described as breathless. The research shows that a baby moth's respiratory system is fixed in size at each stage of development, which limits its oxygen intake.