Divergent mechanisms for regulating growth and development after imaginal disc damage in the tobacco hornworm, .

Holometabolous insects have been able to radiate to vast ecological niches as adults through the evolution of adult-specific structures such as wings, antennae and eyes. These structures arise from imaginal discs that show regenerative capacity when damaged. During imaginal disc regeneration, development has been shown to be delayed in the fruit fly , but how conserved the delay-inducing mechanisms are across holometabolous insects has not been assessed.