Surprisingly, these butterflies could teach us a thing or two about humans.
CRISPR was used to change a butterfly’s wing color
A switch from brown to yellow.
Scientists uncover secret color of 200-million-year-old butterfly wings
Butterfly iridescence is really, really old.
Rare, delicate fossils show butterflies emerged before flowers did
If there’s one thing this study shows, it’s that butterflies are survivors.
Biologists find genetic master switch for the butterfly’s wing color
Only two genes code both the canvas and paintbrush for the intricate butterfly wing patterns.
Mimicry at its finest — or why this is not a snake
Disclaimer: this is not an actual snake.
Death of a dynasty: west North America lost over 95% of its monarch butterflies in 35 years
One of the continent’s most dazzling displays dies with them.
How butterflies have such a beautiful colour
They use the most advanced nanotechnology.
Alaskan butterfly may be a rare hybrid
It takes some hardcore survival skills to make it to the frozen wastelands of Alaska – and this butterfly has what it takes.
Jurassic insect resembles modern butterfly, though it predates it by 40 million yeras
Discovered in ancient lake deposits in northeastern China and eastern Kazakhstan, this ancient insect looks and exhibits behavior closely mimicking the modern butterfly. The Jurassic age insect entered the fossil record 165 million years ago, while butterflies as we know them first appeared 80 to 90 million years ago. Though these are set apart by many millions of years, researchers found numerous morphological and ecological features in these two, unrelated clades.
The Hubble Telescope Captures Image of Rare “Cosmic Butterfly”
Hubble has recently captured a dazzling image of a “cosmic butterfly” – the planetary nebula (PN) M2-9. The star has not only ejected its outer layers, but exposed its inner core, which is now illuminating the layers in a spectacular and violent display.
Drexel University to Exhibit Half-Male, Half-Female Butterfly
Buttereflies are pretty awesome insects – the pupal transformation into a butterfly through metamorphosis is one of the most spectacular processes in the biological world. For one month, until February 16, Drexler University will exhibit a spectacular sample: a butterfly suffering from bilateral gynandromorphism – in other words, a butterfly that is half male, half female.
How caterpillars gruesomely transform into butterflies
In short, for a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly it digests itself using enzymes triggered by hormones, before sleeping cells similar to stem cells grow into the body parts of the future butterfly. So you thought puberty was mean? Wait till you read on.
Butterfly wings inspire high-tech self-cleaning surfaces
Common to Central and South America, the Blue Morpho is an iconic butterfly, prized for its brilliant blue color and iridescence. Beyond its beauty, however, scientists have discovered that its wings have a certain microscopic texture that could benefit a wide range of applications from self-cleaning instruments, to more efficient piping. For example, the researchers were able to clean up
Mutant butterflies found near Fukushima linked to radiation exposure
Immediately after the incident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as a result of the devastating tsunami which swept the country resulting thousands of casualties and damage amount to $40 billion, Japanese authorities quickly evacuated the local human population such that exposure to radiation could be kept at a minimum. The local wildlife, however, wasn’t treated with the same
Butterfly wings inspire ultra-sensitive infrared thermal imaging
Butterflies are one of the most enchanting beings in the animal kingdom, a symbol of grace and beauty encountered in every art form. From a crawling larva to a majestic winged creature, it’s difficult not to take notice of the similarities between the butterfly’s metamorphosis process and the ups and downs life serves before one may truly find himself. Before
New Butterfly Species Identified in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
The Nature is a treasure house of wonders. As we go on unlocking its secrets, more remains to be discovered. So is the hunt for finding new butterfly species. Mexican Scientists, led by Carmen Pozo of El Colegio de la Frontera Sur in Mexico, have claimed to have identified the new species while making a study on the Nymphalidae family
Can a butterfly (or moth) remember life as a catterpillar?
As you know (or at least should know), butterflies and moths are known for their metamorphosis from catterpillars to their adult form. This radical change involves not just a change of look, but it also includes changes in lifestyle, diet, sensorial impulses and many many other differences. So it would seem very probable that the buttefly has no memory whatsoever