Have you ever felt that a person in a portrait is watching you, their eyes following you about a room? This optical illusion is known as the Mona Lisa effect, after Leonardo da Vinci’s famously ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- The iconic eyespots that some moths and butterflies use to ward off predators likely evolved in distinct ways, providing insights into how these insects became so diverse. A new ...

Real birds pecking virtual moths have shown how camouflage probably evolves. The computerized prey adapted to blend into their background, and developed a wide range of different markings. Predators ...

It has wings lighter than a feather and is one of the most delicate creatures on earth. But this tiny moth can frighten off predators far bigger then itself - with its scary spider-like markings. The ...

Butterflies and moths mascarade as snakes, toads and even mammals such as foxes to avoid being eaten by predators, according to research by a leading entomologist. Richard Gray Richardgray 24 October ...

Are there any wing pattern differences between butterflies and moths? Sandra Schachat discusses her research on wing pattern and wing venation in the insect order Lepidoptera.

British moths were turned black by the grime of the Industrial Revolution, according to new research. The study suggests the metamorphosis happened as their pale wings would have shown up against the ...

The molecular mechanics behind a classic example of evolution that dates back to Darwin's time may soon be revealed. [partner id="sciencenews" align="right"]As soot ...

Cryptically coloured animals commonly occur in several distinct pattern variants. Such phenotypic diversity may be promoted by frequency-dependent predation, in which more abundant variants are ...

Tiny light-scattering structures that give today’s butterflies and moths their brilliant hues date back to the days of the dinosaurs. Fossilized mothlike insects from the Jurassic Period bear textured ...