https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. When Joro spiders first arrived stateside more than a decade ago, scientists worried the massive black-and-yellow spiders would gorge themselves on the same bugs as native spiders (or even the native spiders themselves). If the invasive arachnids did make massive meals of Georgia's insects, the local orb weaver population—already facing dangers from insecticide and pesticide use—could suffer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-joro-spiders-wider-range-insects.html Plants & Animals Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:08 EDT news707135881 The next time you need to freshen up the paint on your house or apply a bit of cosmetic glitter before heading out for the night, you might want to give a quick nod to the butterflies fluttering in a nearby garden. Taking inspiration from structures on those wings that create their vibrant colors, researchers are now devising more durable and adjustable colors that are also safer for human health and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-crystals-enable-durable-potentially.html Nanomaterials Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:00:09 EDT news706874161 Blue morpho butterflies have captivated the human eye for centuries. We even have one as an emoji on our phones. In a recent experiment, researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) documented for the first time that hot temperatures during development can reduce the brightness of their iridescence. At hot temperatures, such as those projected in future warming scenarios, the structures responsible for their iridescent color could change enough that common bird predators and other butterflies of the same species would likely see a color change. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hot-temperatures-dull-blue-morpho.html Plants & Animals Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:00:01 EDT news706535135 Climate change presents animals and plants with a fundamental challenge: What can they do when their established habitats become increasingly warm? They can adapt to the changing conditions—or move to areas where the climate remains suitable for them. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterflies-higher-ground-redraws-alpine.html Plants & Animals Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:20:01 EDT news706190401 Bees may be relying on your lawn for their next meal, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pollinators-grass.html Plants & Animals Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:30:01 EDT news706190045 Respiratory infectious diseases and air pollution remain persistent global health challenges. Yet the tools used to monitor airborne threats are often expensive, power-hungry and difficult to deploy outside laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-technology-air.html Environment Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news705923941 A global analysis of range-shift records for 1,758 butterfly species—10% of known butterfly species—found that 80% had expanded their range and that 79% of all recorded range shifts were linked to climate change and extreme weather events. The new study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, also reports range contractions for 27% of species, and 22% of species showed a change in elevation. Because many species exhibited multiple types of range shifts, the percentages for expansions, contractions and elevation changes are above 100%. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-ranges-shift-worldwide-climate.html Plants & Animals Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:40:04 EDT news705152045 The left-right asymmetry of South African butterfly lilies (genus Wachendorfia) has been regarded as a classic evolutionary puzzle for more than a century. Due to the mirror-image arrangement of the floral parts, the plants achieve efficient cross-pollination. The molecular basis of this arrangement has now been uncovered by an international team led by the University of Potsdam. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-supergene-evolutionary-puzzle-mirror-image.html Evolution Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:00:01 EDT news704707822 Dragonflies are renowned for their remarkable flying abilities. Male dragonflies often compete for territory and mating opportunities, engaging in fascinating in-flight battles. Researchers at Imperial College London and Taipei Zoo recently carried out a study investigating the aerial maneuvers male dragonflies use while fighting competitors and the overall purpose of these battles. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-dragonfly-aerial-simple.html Plants & Animals Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news703496366 If you've driven down two-lane highways in rural parts of North Florida recently, you may have noticed a spate of new signs that designate the grassy knolls bordering the asphalt as wildflower areas. The signs likely feel redundant right about now as thousands of milkweeds produce thick umbels packed full of pentagonal buds and fully developed flowers. Many of these flowers and all the monarchs they attract have the same attention-grabbing orange color as the safety vests worn by workers who carefully planted each milkweed by hand months earlier. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-butterfly-experts-milkweed-florida-roadsides.html Plants & Animals Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:30:01 EDT news703499199 Just as careful blending of eye shadow can make a difference to our looks, a recent study has shown how flowers go to considerable trouble to fine-tune their shades. In the relentless competition to attract bees, a slight edge can make the difference between life and death for a gene. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-wild-snapdragons-subtle-bees.html Plants & Animals Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:14 EDT news703500019 The British swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon britannicus) is the U.K.'s only native swallowtail and its largest native butterfly. It's instantly recognizable by its striking light yellow-and-black wings, with twin tail-like markings splashed in bold blue and red. Habitat for this endangered species has largely been limited to the damp bogs and marshes of eastern England, especially the iconic Norfolk Broads, where its life cycle is closely tied to a single host plant, milk-parsley. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rare-british-butterfly-familiar-genome.html Ecology Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:20:16 EDT news702721312 University of Newcastle researchers have documented one of the clearest examples of iridescence ever recorded in an amphibian, revealing that the endangered green and golden bell frog (Ranoidea aurea) possesses intricate color-shifting skin previously unseen in the species. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rare-shifting-iconic-australian-frog.html Plants & Animals Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:40:10 EDT news702637262 A new study published in the journal Alpine Entomology has found that alpine butterflies in the Swiss National Park are closely matching the pace of local warming in their range shift to higher elevations. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-alpine-butterflies-track-uphill-habitat.html Plants & Animals Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:20:01 EDT news702552888 A new estimate of insect species globally finds that there may be 8 million to 14 million more species than people thought, with few of them discovered. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-insect-species-previously-thought.html Plants & Animals Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:00:05 EDT news701942881 The tropical rainforests of Central and South America are among the most biodiverse places on Earth. Costa Rica alone is home to half a million species, five times more than exist in the entire country of Canada, despite the former having 200 times less land area than the latter. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-widespread-butterfly-species-disguise.html Plants & Animals Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:40:01 EDT news701594281 Researchers have identified "DNA switches" that become active as honeybee larvae grow into worker bees, offering new insight into the development of these important pollinators and the ecosystems they support. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-honeybee-metamorphosis-uncovers-dna-worker.html Ecology Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:20:07 EDT news701425717 In a novel experiment at the University of Cincinnati, researchers recently isolated kissing bugs, fruit flies, mosquitoes and spider beetles in a climate- and light-controlled environment and found that they responded predictably to cycles of humidity in the same way they do to temperature and daylight. After the humidity cue was removed, the insects continued to respond to the cyclical fluctuations of humidity and dryness established in the experiment. The study is published in the journal npj Biological Timing and Sleep. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-insects-evidence-daily-body-clock.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:10:01 EDT news701366701 An international team of researchers have published a new review in Animal Behavior revealing how communication enables cooperation between different animal species. The review, titled "The ecology and evolution of cues and signals in animal interspecies cooperation," highlights how movements, visual displays, calls, and other behavioral cues and signals help partners coordinate interactions and align interests across species boundaries. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-animals-communicate-species-boundaries.html Plants & Animals Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:01 EDT news701079434 A tropical butterfly has evolved an ingenious anti-aging strategy by delaying the aging process, enabling it to live far longer than its closest relatives, according to a new University of Bristol-led study published in Nature Communications. Found throughout the tropical rainforests of South and Central America, butterflies of the Heliconius tribe are among the longest-lived species ever recorded and could provide a new model for studying the biology of longevity. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-geriatric-butterfly-species.html Evolution Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:00:05 EDT news700821607 Can a snake in Thailand influence the evolution of a snake in the Philippines even if the two species never cross paths? According to a new study, the answer may be yes. The research suggests that migratory predators can act as evolutionary "messengers," carrying their avoidance behavior across continents and linking the fates of species separated by thousands of kilometers. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-predators-link-evolution-species-thousands.html Evolution Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:00:03 EDT news700730761 Many insects will eat almost anything in their sight, such as certain beetles, grasshoppers and locusts, while others are remarkably picky eaters. For example, numerous insect herbivores will feed only on a single plant family or a specific type of tree. But why is this so? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-diversity-caterpillars-fussy-food.html Plants & Animals Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:30:01 EDT news700484036 Nature is filled with remarkable visual phenomena created by microscopic surface structures that interact with light in fascinating ways. The iridescent wings of butterflies, the shimmering feathers of birds and the glossy surfaces of flower petals are all examples of how living organisms control the reflection, absorption and scattering of light. These optical effects are not only visually striking but also serve important biological functions, including attracting pollinators, communication, camouflage and protection from environmental stress. Understanding these naturally occurring photonic structures has become an important area of research, as they provide inspiration for the development of advanced biomimetic materials and optical technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hardy-ice-optical-possibilities.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:30:01 EDT news700243562 Thanks to a historical data archive, Swiss researchers are able to draw conclusions about the changes in the diversity of two insect groups over the past 90 years. The study, led by Agroscope, identified a significant decline in butterflies and deadwood beetle species around the middle of the 20th century. These groups live predominantly in agricultural and forest habitats. However, the study also shows that the number of species has since risen in some areas. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-decades-insect-diversity-switzerland-expose.html Plants & Animals Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:40:05 EDT news699622981 New research from Queen Mary University of London shows how extreme seasonal patterns are causing rainforest butterflies to adapt their reproductive strategies at a rapid pace, with implications for species resilience under accelerating climate disruption. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-tropical-butterflies-hedge-reproduction-extreme.html Plants & Animals Tue, 26 May 2026 14:52:12 EDT news699025791 For two decades, physicists have predicted the existence of a remarkable family of exotic molecules: giant atoms bound to ordinary atoms, with an electron so distant from its nucleus that it sculpts the pair into bizarre and diverse shapes. Reported in Physical Review Letters, the final member of this "quantum zoo" has been spotted. Led by Herwig Ott at RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau in Germany, a team of physicists has created and detected the "butterfly" molecule, completing a 20-year hunt for the elusive structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-butterfly-molecule-year-quantum-zoo.html Quantum Physics Mon, 25 May 2026 14:20:02 EDT news698927129 Anesthesia makes life-saving procedures as painless and stress-free as possible for the animals we love and care for. But not a lot is known about the effects of anesthesia on animals that we don't typically consider pets—like butterflies and other invertebrates. Insects are often valuable members of nature centers, zoos and museums, but even if they're just being evaluated in the wild, they can need anesthesia during physical examinations and injury treatment. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-anesthetize-butterfly.html Plants & Animals Fri, 22 May 2026 07:33:54 EDT news698652062 Long before his days of research, Christian Couch was just a kid marveling at the butterflies in the Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Rainforest. Years later, after enrolling as an undergraduate student at the University of Florida, that same sense of wonder led him back to the museum, first as a volunteer in the Kawahara Lab and eventually as a master's student studying the insects that first inspired him. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-evolutionary-arms-hawkmoths-extremes.html Plants & Animals Thu, 21 May 2026 18:00:02 EDT news698594881 Scientists have shown that evolution has been using the same genetic "cheat sheet" for over 120 million years, suggesting that life on Earth may be more predictable than first imagined. The international team, led by scientists at the University of York and the Wellcome Sanger Institute, studied several distantly related South American rainforest butterfly and moth species that sport similar wing color patterns that warn away predators, a phenomenon known as mimicry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-evolution-reused-genes-million-years.html Ecology Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:14 EDT news696756722 Butterfly fossils are rare, and finds that preserve fine anatomical details and wing patterns are an absolute exception. An international research team from Sweden, the U.S., and Germany, led by Dr. Hossein Rajaei, lepidopterist at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, and with the participation of Prof. Dr. Torsten Wappler from the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt, has now described an exceptionally well-preserved butterfly fossil, approximately 34 to 28 million years old. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fossilized-emperor-butterfly.html Evolution Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:40:01 EDT news694268881