Striking change - Issue #85

Hello Explorer,
One of the coolest and most complex things about insects is that all of them go through metamorphosis, either complete- or incomplete-metamorphosis. Metamorphosis as defined as a striking change of form or structure of an individual after birth or hatching. Think of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, or a tadpole changing into a frog or toad.
The difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis, is as simple as the names. Complete metamorphosis means that an insect has a juvenile form, known as a larva, that looks completely different to the adult, like caterpillars and butterflies, beetle larvae and the beetle, fly maggots and the fly itself, etc. Incomplete metamorphosis are insects that have a juvenile form, known as a nymph, that looks structurally very similar to the adult, for example grasshoppers, praying mantids, stick insects, etc. Have you ever thought about how metamorphosis actually works?
Today however, I want us to dive into the complete metamorphosis and discover some very strange and mind-blowing facts about this intricate part of creation. For complete metamorphosis to take place there is always a pupal stage in development, that generally look neither like the larva or the adult insect, but rather a very confused mix between the two. The outward appearance of the pupa will always have distorted adult features, for example the folded wings of a butterfly, or the horns of dung beetle.
The astonishing thing about a pupa is not the outside however, but what is happening on the inside of the pupal casing. As an entomologist with a little bit of an impatient tendency (which I’m working on) I have previously made the mistake of checking to see if a pupa is still alive, only to find white mush on the inside of the pupal case. Before gaining the required knowledge I always thought that my rearing efforts have gone to waste as the pupa died after seeing the white mush inside the pupal case.
This white mush however, is the most astonishing and mind-boggling thing ever. Each and every cell of an insect in pupal phase, all except the pupal casing, turns into random white cells. All the cells effectively revert to a stem cell state, being able to become any cell it needs to be. The intricate part is that before the larva pupates each cell is already programmed with what it will be after metamorphosis, and during the pupal stage the cells rearrange, change and form into their pre-programmed form. So, the white mush I encountered on the inside of the pupal cases doesn’t mean that the pupae died, but rather that I disturbed them in the metamorphosis process.
I believe that this makes insects the true shape shifters of creation, being able to completely revert their insides to white mush that changes into something strikingly different!
Did you know that insects break down their entire body into white mush during the pupal stage of metamorphosis? Have you ever seen the white mush inside a pupal case? What insect metamorphosis is the most interesting to you and why?

If you would like to send me a message with your answers, feel free to do so on Instagram @abugmanslife or via email to [email protected].