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 Every spring, many monarch butterflies drift back into Florida on orange-and-black wings that have captivated scientists for generations. They arrive quietly, fluttering through fields and roadsides, stopping at nectar plants to feed and lay eggs on patches of milkweed. Soon, their offspring emerge and begin dispersing across the landscape. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-transmitters-monarch-migration-mysteries.html Ecology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:20:04 EDT news707049542 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 As part of its efforts to map out Europe's science-policy interface for biodiversity, a paper on the correlation between governance objectives for safeguarding the biosphere and on-the-ground realities for select species groups has been published. The work is in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-biodiversity-friendly-policies-halt-declines.html Plants & Animals Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:20:03 EDT news706886462 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 In 1804, William Blake wrote in his poem Jerusalem of England's "green and pleasant" land. This idealized vision of English pastoral has resonated through two centuries, fusing the character of the nation with its landscape—those "mountains green" and "pleasant pastures." https://phys.org/news/2026-08-climate-rewriting-england-green-pleasant.html Environment Wed, 19 Aug 2026 20:20:01 EDT news706355933 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 By the early 1990s, there were only around 20 Florida panthers left on the planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-poor-genetic-health-threatens-species.html Plants & Animals Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:20:02 EDT news706167542 As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they're getting dangerously hot. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-green-roofs-cool-cities-summer.html Environment Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:40:01 EDT news705756601 On a summer day in Michigan, a tiny Poweshiek skipperling butterfly—smaller than a quarter—takes flight over a restored prairie. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterflies-brink-extinction.html Plants & Animals Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:40:02 EDT news705935570 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 The Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO holds 2,000 drawers of butterfly specimens, including some that were collected more than a century ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterfly-effects-climate.html Ecology Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:00:01 EDT news705854281 Online conflict tends to advance social movements rather than undermine them, according to new research from McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-online-conflict-weaken-social-movements.html Political science Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:10:01 EDT news705753289 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 You need to tread carefully among the leaf litter of the Indonesian scrubland and its tropical rainforests. The dead leaves might seem caught in a gentle breeze, but there's more here than meets the eye. Try plucking one from the ground and you'll find an insect caught in the act of prayer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-creatures-born-code-generative-ai.html Evolution Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:00:11 EDT news705329101 Imagine spotting a butterfly species in your garden that you have never seen before. You might take a photo and upload it to a citizen science app or tell a local nature group about your new encounter. It feels like a small moment of joy. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-butterflies-planet.html Ecology Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:05 EDT news705135422 If you build a house in the United States today, there's a good chance you'll be living under the dictates of a neighborhood homeowners association—roughly two out of every three new homes are in an HOA, as are a third of existing homes. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hoas-barriers-sustainable-landscaping-solar.html Environment Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:20:05 EDT news704979121 Butterflies are charismatic, colorful and cherished around the world. One of the most diverse groups of insects, with more than 19,000 described species, they inspire international organizations such as the North American Butterfly Association and the Xerces Society, as well as countless websites devoted to their identification, monitoring and natural history. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tropical-butterflies-highprotein-diet.html Evolution Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news704968802 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 Summer can be lovely—until a wasp turns up. Whether they present as an irritating picnic visitor or an uninvited attic guest, common social wasps are as much a part of our summer as festivals, sunscreen and the growing despair of how to entertain children who've forgotten how to be bored. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-wasps-summer.html Ecology Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:20:04 EDT news704548982 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 Agriculture and biodiversity restoration do not have to be at odds. A new study by the WILD research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and UCLouvain, published in the journal Biological Conservation, demonstrates that agriwilding—a form of nature-inclusive farming—can successfully combine food production with biodiversity restoration. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-food-biodiversity-highlights-potential-agriwilding.html Ecology Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news703255482 Pollinators—including bees, flies, wasps, moths, butterflies and some nectar-loving birds—are a cornerstone of our natural environment. By helping plants reproduce, they keep our ecosystems healthy and ensure we can grow vital food crops. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-big-bees-global.html Ecology Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news703156801 A new Tufts University imaging facility is doing something that most microscopy centers in the world cannot: allowing scientists to examine a butterfly wing, a living tissue or a microchip and reveal its physical structure, molecular chemistry and elemental composition across every scale, from the macroscale down to the nanoscale—all in one imaging session. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-peering-materials-nanoscale-cocoon-lab.html Nanomaterials Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:20:04 EDT news702888139 High above the rainforest floor, tiny ponds form in the leaves of plants perched on tree branches. Frogs breed in these ponds, alongside insects, microbes and even tiny crustaceans, creating miniature ecosystems suspended high in the canopy. These are the bromeliads—the remarkable plant family that also gave us air plants, the towering 12-meter (39-foot) "Queen of the Andes", and the pineapple on your terrible pizza. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hummingbirds-pineapples-ancient-relationship-evolutionary.html Evolution Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:00:11 EDT news702820861 Europe risks a severe crisis if the decline of wild pollinators continues. This is the key message of a new white paper prepared by 135 researchers from eight research consortia, including the projects BUTTERFLY, RestPoll, ProPollSoil and PolinERA, all involving researchers from Aarhus University. Among the authors are Claus Rasmussen, Martin Hvarregaard Thorsøe, James Williams, Johan Axelman and Chris Topping from the Department of Agroecology. The work is published in Zenodo. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-europe-pollinator-crisis.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:20:05 EDT news702741487 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