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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
What looked like a population of a common butterfly species turned out to be a whole new organism, and, moreover – one with a very…
New research focuses on the wings of the black butterfly (Pachliopta aristolochiae), which are covered by micro- and nanostructured scales that harvest sunlight over a…
The more energy a creature uses, the more free radicals and other unstable, cell-damaging molecules its body produces. In many cases this can shorten the…
The Fukushima disaster seems to have caused three generations of butterflies near the nuclear plant to mutate. This has raised fears that it could affect…
A new study from evolutionary biologists at Yale University examined the butterfly species Bicyclus anynana and their mating patterns, finding that female butterflies of the…
While studying the genome of the Postman butterfly and examining the genetic makeup of two other closely related butterfly species, a team of international researchers…
Engineers at Johns Hopkins are studying butterflies using high-speed video cameras to gain a better understand of their flight dynamics. With funding from U.S. defense…