Butterfly populations in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature, but rising global temperatures may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction.
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to make new discoveries, and confirm old ones, about one of nature’s best-known mimics, opening up whole new directions of research in evolutionary biology.
Climate change poses a major threat to butterflies but a new generation of Cambridge scientists is working to unlock their secrets and help them thrive.
Male butterflies have genes which give them a sexual preference for a partner with a similar appearance to themselves, according to new research.
Heliconius butterflies have evolved bright yellow colours to deter predators, while peppered moths famously turned black to hide from birds. A new study reveals that the same gene causes both, raising fascinating questions about how evolution by natural selection occurs in these species.
A study of butterflies suggests that when a species adapts, other parts of its genetic make-up can be linked to that adaptation, limiting diversity in the population.
Research finds independent genetic switches control different splotches of colour and pattern on Heliconius butterfly wings, and that these switches have been shared between species over millions of years, becoming “jumbled up” to create new and diverse wing displays.
Unlike their male counterparts, the female Heliconius butterflies have taste receptors on their legs in order to pick the best plants on which to lay their eggs.
Research discovers that whether a female butterfly will mate with a male depends on the quality of his sex pheromones.
An international collaborative study to map the genome of a South American butterfly has identified the secret behind its mimetic nature.
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