A rare butterfly species found in Britain, has a set of wings in which its true colors are in-question. The Purple Emperor, as it’s called, has wings that appear to be blue to some people, but brown ...

Heliconius charithonia is one of the species of butterflies whose wing patterns scientists scrutinized to better understand the evolutionary process. This butterfly is wild-type; the genetically ...

Butterfly wings get their color in ways that almost feel impossible. Up close, each wing is made of countless tiny scales that either hold pigment or manipulate light. The oranges, reds, and browns ...

If you’ve ever wondered why some animals like butterflies, birds, and beetles shimmer in the light and change from one iridescent color to the next, it’s because they don’t rely on pigments as most of ...

The female swallowtail butterfly (left) has extra orange spots and a different shape on its wings to mimic species that are toxic to predators, while the male (right) has the standard set of white ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo biologists who study butterfly wing patterns have inserted into an African butterfly a marker gene from a jellyfish species, resulting in the first transgenic ...

The fine powder on butterfly wings is actually microscopic scales, crucial for their survival. These scales create vibrant colors for camouflage and warning, aid in flight efficiency by controlling ...

Irvine, Calif., Feb. 16, 2010 – Butterfly experts have suspected for more than 150 years that vision plays a key role in explaining wing color diversity. Now, for the first time, research led by UC ...

Researchers probe the genetic logic underlying eyespot development on butterfly wings, identifying the origin of a beautiful and useful novel complex trait. For the Michigan Tech biologist on the team ...

A selective mating experiment by a curious butterfly breeder has led scientists to a deeper understanding of how butterfly wing color is created and evolves. The study, led by scientists at University ...