When most animals are hurt, they lash out or run away. It’s the classic fight-or-flight response. However, the tobacco hornworm caterpillar (Manduca sexta) has a very different strategy. When disturbed or in pain, it goes still, curling its head and upper body downward in a pose that researchers call the sphinx state, since it looks like the ancient Egyptian statue. …
Read More »What a caterpillar’s quiet pose tells us about the biology of pain
