Cancer detection breakthrough revealed via butterfly-inspired imaging
In the world of sensory perception, other creatures frequently outperform humans. A research team has created an imaging sensor that looks into the elusive ultraviolet (UV) spectrum by drawing inspiration from the Papilio xuthus butterfly's sophisticated visual system. This groundbreaking method, Read More...
The case for growing nectar-rich plants in your garden this spring
The nectar created by flowering plants is a significant food source for many of the critters we share our environment with. Those of us who want to attract wildlife to our gardens understand the importance of having flowering plants in bloom for as long as possible. Selecting nectar-rich plants Read More...
"Invisible" UV bull's-eye is vital in attracting pollinators to flowers
Here at The Optimist Daily, we hold a special tenderness in our hearts for our planet's pollinators. Mini-beasts, like bees and butterflies, have the integral role of spreading pollen from plant-to-plant facilitating their reproduction. In return, the plants provide the insects with the delicious Read More...
This is how butterflies could make our future security systems unhackable
Though fingerprint recognition may make us feel like we have control over our privacy when it comes to accessing our electronic devices, much like other modern security labels — like QR codes and electronic passes — our fingerprints are vulnerable to the possibility of being replicated. A Read More...
Watch and listen to millions of monarch butterflies take flight together
Every winter, monarch butterflies fly thousands of miles from the US and Canada where they breed, all the way down to the forests of central Mexico where they wait out the cold before heading back home in the spring. While this phenomenon by itself is one of the most impressive things in the Read More...
The "Butterfly Effect" is designed to help insects cross roads safely
Most drivers have had the unpleasant experience of witnessing an insect or two splat against your windshield while you’re driving down the highway. Well, as unpleasant as it may be for those of us behind the wheel, it is undoubtedly more unpleasant for the bug. Dutch design studio VenhoevenCS, Read More...
Colombia declared home of the most butterfly species in the world
A new study released by the Natural History Museum in London has just dubbed Colombia the world’s official butterfly paradise. The country of Colombia is home to some of the richest biodiversity on the planet, including approximately 20 percent of the world’s butterfly species. An Read More...
One of Britain’s rarest butterfly species bounces back from near extinction
Ten years ago, a butterfly called the Duke of Burgundy was listed as Britain’s rarest, with the species hurtling towards extinction. Thanks to wildlife-friendly farms, however, the population of the small butterfly has now bounced back, with the number surging by 25 percent over the last Read More...
Rare butterfly species experiences successful reintroduction into the wild
Declared extinct in Britain in 1979 before being reintroduced from European populations nearly 40 years ago, the large blue butterfly has recently experienced the most substantial reintroduction into the wild. After five years of preparing the landscape for the species, 1,100 larvae of the large Read More...
To save the monarch butterfly, US cities are creating specially-made gardens
With their distinctive black-and-orange wings patterned as precisely as stained glass, the monarch butterfly is a beloved insect in America. The sad thing is nature societies are observing huge drops in the populations of these beautiful butterflies. In 2018, the National Wildlife Federation Read More...