Butterflies, Learning, and Memory

Spatial learning. Sounds like something out of science fiction, but the real meaning is actually quite interesting. Living things get information about their environments, remember, organize, and use it. A dog ventures out of the yard but a bigger dog snarls at him. He hurries back home to safety, having utilized his spatial memory. Humans and large animals have it, and insects that live in communal nests have been studied. Then scientists took a notion to study certain butterflies.

Heliconius butterfly, Flickr / Wildcat Dunny (CC BY 2.0)

Complex learning skills were found in the Heliconius butterfly genus. They seek out pollen for feeding along their routes, exhibiting long-term memory because they returned to their favorite diners. Researchers praised evolution, but that was a matter taken by faith, not actual evidence. In reality, the evidence shows that these tiny brains and how they are used are the products of design by the Creator.

Gone are the days when many people (biologists included) saw insects as simple creatures that did little more than reproduce, eat, and grow—with some migrating. But as the decades of research passed, it was obvious that insects were hardly simple and uncomplicated creatures. They’re far from it.

Now entomologists are finding—for the first time—that butterflies in their erratic flight are actually undergoing complex spatial learning. The amazing cognitive ability of these insects is in addition to their design and capability to migrate 3,000+ miles.

To finish reading, flutter on over to "Butterflies Can Remember."