Scientists at Georgia Tech have demonstrated a new technique for fabricating nanoscale optical waveguides and splitters using artificial butterfly wing scales. The replicas accurately replicated the physical features and optical properties of the natural wing scales, exhibiting similar shape, orientation, and distribution.
New research from University at Buffalo biologists found that female butterflies are attracted to the sparkle created by ultraviolet reflectivity of pupils in male butterfly wings, not the size of the eyespots. Females prefer a set of narrowly defined features, such as eyespot pupils measuring approximately half a millimeter.
Researchers at Duke University uncover how two genes control the evolution of line and eyespot patterns in butterflies and moths. The study, published in Current Biology, sheds light on the developmental basis of wing patterns and their connection to biodiversity.