The antiserum against locustatachykinin I, originally isolated from brain and retrocerebral complex of the locust Locusta migratoria, has been used to investigate changes in number, localization, and structure of locustatachykinin I-immunoreactive (LomTK I-IR) neurons in the brains of the common cutworm, Spodoptera Iitura, during postembryonic development. These neurons are found at larval, pupal, and adult stages. In the larval stages, the first instar larva shows the first appearance of about 8 LomTK I-IR neurons. These neurons gradually increase in number from the second to fourth instar larvae which have the largest number of about 92 in all postembryonic stages. Thereafter, these neurons decrease to about 28 in number in the 5-day-old pupa. However, they begin to rise again from the 7-day-old pupal stage, eventually reaching to about 90 in the l-day-old adult. The developing larval brains contain cell bodies of these neurons in most neuromeres. After the metamorphosis of larva to pupa and adult, localization of these neuronal cell bodies is confined to the specific cerebral neuromeres. The 7-day-old pupal brain shows the location of these neuronal cell bodies in pars intercerebralis, pars lateralis of protocerebrum, deutocerebrum, tritocerebrum, optic lobe-near region, and subesophageal ganglion. In the l-day-old adult, however, the brain has these cell bodies only in some neuromeres of protocerebrum, deutocerebrum, and subesophageal ganglion. Throughout the postembryonic life, changes in structure of these neurons coincide with changes in number and localization of these neurons. These findings suggest that changes in number, localization, and structure of these neurons reflect differentiation of these neurons to adult type.