The Dark Cost of Being Toxic
The sequestration of plant toxins by monarch butterflies results in decreased visibility of warning signals. Aposematism in animals: the more toxic, the more striking the…
Butterflies News
The Ultimate Death Stare: How Moth Wing Patterns Allow Them To Escape Death
Dr. Hannah Rowland and Dr. John Skelhorn explain how these defensive patterns on moth wings persuade birds that assaulting the insects is not worth the risk….
Gene-Edited Butterfly Mutants Reveal Secrets of Ancient “Junk” DNA
According to new research, butterfly wing patterns have a basic plan to them, which is manipulated by non-coding regulatory DNA to create the diversity of…
Butterfly Eyespots Reuse Gene Network That Patterns Antennae, Legs and Wings
Findings highlight that novel complex traits, such as eyespots, evolve from gene networks that already pattern pre-existent complex traits in the body. Eyespots, the circular…
Will an Imperiled Butterfly Survive Climate Change? It Depends on Shifting Rainfall Patterns
When we think of climate change, we often imagine how a warmer world will impact species, but a new study highlights the importance of changes…
Peeking Into a Chrysalis, Incredible Videos Capture Butterfly Wings Forming During Metamorphosis
The findings could inform the design of new materials such as iridescent windows or waterproof textiles. If you brush against the wings of a butterfly,…
First US Case of Human-Led Insect Extinction Confirmed by DNA From 93-Year-Old Butterfly
The Xerces blue butterfly was last seen flapping its iridescent periwinkle wings in San Francisco in the early 1940s. It’s generally accepted to be extinct,…
Researchers Investigate Newly Introduced Butterfly That Could Become Widespread in Canada
This summer, if you see a butterfly with wings that are blue on top with orange spots underneath, you may have crossed paths with a…
Butterflies Cross the Vast Sahara Desert in Longest-Known Insect Migration
Weather conditions shown to have big influence on migration numbers. A species of butterfly found in Sub-Saharan Africa is able to migrate thousands of miles…
Scientists See the Invisible: How Butterflies Make Transparent Wings
Many animals have evolved camouflage tactics for self-defense, but some butterflies and moths have taken it even further: They’ve developed transparent wings, making them almost…
Anti-Aphrodisiac: Male Butterflies Mark Their Mates With Repulsive Smell During Sex to “Turn Off” Other Suitors
Butterflies have evolved to produce a strongly scented chemical in their genitals that they leave behind after sex to deter other males from pursuing their…
Mystery of Alfred Wallace’s Butterfly Is Finally Solved Over a Century Later
Described by the ‘father of zoogeography’ and co-author of the theories of evolution and natural selection, the species hasn’t been reexamined since 1866. An over…
Incredible High-Speed Video Shows How Armor on Butterfly Wings Protects Against Heavy Rain
An analysis of high-speed raindrops hitting biological surfaces such as feathers, plant leaves and insect wings reveals how these highly water-repelling veneers reduce the water’s…
Optical Illusion Created by Butterflies’ Wing Scales Is Secret to Ultra-Black, Lightweight Materials
Some butterflies have ultra-black wings that rival the blackest materials made by humans, using wing scales that are only a fraction as thick — here’s…
Nanostructures and Living Cells in Butterfly Wings Could Inspire Radiative-Cooling Materials & Advanced Flying Machines
Researchers discover that butterflies have specialized behaviors and wing scales to protect the living parts of their wings; nanostructures found in the wing scales could…
Is Evolution Predictable? Important Implications for the Way We Undertand Life on Earth
An international team of scientists working with Heliconius butterflies at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama was faced with a mystery: How do…
Scientists Discover Why Climate Change Is Threatening Some British Butterflies
Scientists have discovered why climate change may be contributing to the decline of some British butterflies and moths, such as Silver-studded Blue and High Brown…
New Comprehensive Map of How Butterflies Are Related to Each Other
For hundreds of years, butterfly collecting has often inspired a special kind of fanaticism, spurring lengthy expeditions, sparking rivalries, and prompting some collectors to risk…
