Hunger turns these caterpillars into little jerks
Lela Nargi, The Washington Post
Dec. 23, 2020
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Scientists who have studied monarch caterpillars say that when they don t get enough milkweed to eat, they butt heads or knock each other out of the way.Florida Atlantic University
Some people are hungry when they ve missed a meal or eaten too little of one. Some people get hangry. That s when your blood sugar dips too low and makes you seriously irritable. (Hangry = hungry + angry.)
Humans aren t the only animals who feel hangry. New research from scientists at Florida Atlantic University shows that monarch caterpillars do, too. When these normally gentle, two-inch-long insects don t get enough of their main food - milkweed - they turn into jerks. They butt heads. They lunge at each other. They knock each other out of the way.
These caterpillars aren t just hungry, they re hangry washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.