Insights into the evolution of lateralization from the insects

Behavioral lateralization is widespread across the animals, being found in numerous vertebrate species as well as in species from across many invertebrate phyla. Numerous recent studies have focused on lateralization in the insects, exploring the behaviors themselves as well as their neural basis and the possible selective pressures that led to their evolution. Lateralization in the insects can occur in any sensory modality and may be generated by peripheral or central neural asymmetries. The lateralization of particular insect behaviors can show either population-level or individual-level lateralization but which of these types of lateralization is present is strongly influenced by their social environment. Different behaviors from the same species show population-level or individual-level lateralization depending on whether these behaviors are used in social interactions or not. This has broad implications for our understanding of how lateralization and handedness evolves not just in insects but also in vertebrates.