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first instar spinneret

first instar spinneret

Mouthparts of the first instar larva of Manduca sexta are characterized by the spigot, a tubular protruding structure through which the silk is discharged. In later instars this structure is reduced, and a new study in Insect Systematics and Diversity models in new detail the caterpillar’s first instar silk-producing anatomy and subsequent loss of that capability as it molts to later instars. (Image courtesy of István Mikó, Ph.D.)

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