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Research shows that coldness triggers northward flight in migrating monarch butterflies

Nature Each fall millions of monarch butterflies from across the eastern United States begin a southward migration in order to escape the frigid temperatures of their northern boundaries, traveling up to 2,000 miles to an overwintering site in a specific grove of fir trees in central Mexico. Surprisingly, a new study by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School published in Current Biology, suggests that exposure to coldness fo Read more...

Posted
February 22nd, 2013

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Darker wings for monarch butterflies mean better flight

Nature For monarch butterflies, redder wings are correlated with better flight performance, according to research published July 25 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Previous work has shown that monarch coloring is intended to warn their predators about their bitter taste and toxicity, and that migratory butterflies are darker colored than non-migratory ones, suggesting an association between darker color and increased fitness. The curren Read more...

Posted
July 31st, 2012

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Same adaptations evolve across different insects

Nature The famous biologist Stephen J. Gould once asked: If we rerun the tape of life, would the outcome of evolution be the same? For years, scientists have questioned whether evolution is predictable, or whether chance events make such predictability unlikely. A study published online July 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that in the case of insects that developed resistance to a powerful plant toxin, the same ada Read more...

Posted
July 25th, 2012

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Study reveals how monarch butterflies recolonize northern breeding range

Nature Each year, millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrate from overwintering grounds in central Mexico to colonize eastern North America, but just how these delicate creatures manage to reach the northern part of their breeding range in spring has largely remained a mystery. New research from the University of Guelph led by Prof. Ryan Norris, Department of Integrative Biology, former graduate student Nathan Miller and Environme Read more...

Posted
March 22nd, 2012

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Fruit flies watch the sky to stay on course

Nature Related images(click to enlarge) Peter Weir Floris van Breugel Insects, equipped with complex compound eyes, can maintain a constant heading in their travels, some of them for thousands of miles. New research demonstrates that fruit flies keep their bearings by using the polarization pattern of natural skylight, bolstering the belief that many, if not all, insects have that capability. "If you go out in a field, lie on your back Read more...

Posted
January 18th, 2012

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Study finds monarch butterflies use medicinal plants to treat offspring for disease

Nature Monarch butterflies appear to use medicinal plants to treat their offspring for disease, research by biologists at Emory University shows. Their findings were published online Oct. 6 in the journal Ecology Letters. “We have shown that some species of milkweed, the larva’s food plants, can reduce parasite infection in the monarchs,” says Jaap de Roode, the evolutionary biologist who led the study. “And we have also Read more...

Posted
October 11th, 2010

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Genetic basis for migration

Scientists studying Eastern North American monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have uncovered a suite of genes that may be involved in driving the butterflies to migrate towards Mexico for the winter. Their research, published in the open access journal BMC Biology, describes 40 genes that are linked to the butterflies’ compulsion to orientate themselves by an internal ‘sun compass’ and begin the 4000km journey sout Read more...

Posted
August 15th, 2010

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