Butterfly tree of life reveals an origin in North America
About 100 million years ago, a group of trendsetting moths started flying during the day rather than at night, taking…Read More
Rare and iconic Atala butterflies retain ancient pattern of wing symmetry
Nature seems to have an inexhaustible supply of inspiration when it comes to butterflies. With over 18,000 species, each with…Read More
Tracking the origin of southern California’s latest invasive pest
In 2012, a crop of California’s most prized ornamental trees was overrun by an invisible invader. The growing shoots of…Read More
Butterfly garden initiative expands to community centers, after-school programs
After being in a COVID-19 chrysalis for over a year, the Florida Museum of Natural History’s butterfly garden program is…Read More
Lyin’ eyes: Butterfly, moth eyespots may look the same, but likely evolved separately
The iconic eyespots that some moths and butterflies use to ward off predators likely evolved in distinct ways, providing insights…Read More
25,000 moths from one Florida backyard show how insects change with the seasons
It may seem as though the same brown moths circle your porch light each night. But a two-year survey of…Read More
Hollow trees host massive moth slumber parties
Unlike social insects such as bees and ants, moths are generally loners. So, when Florida Museum of Natural History lepidopterist…Read More
40 years of friendship, 70,000 specimens: Amateur entomologists donate lifetimes’ worth of butterflies and moths
As a 4-year-old, butterfly net in hand, Ed Knudson set out to catch insects in his neighborhood. Little did he…Read More
Luna moth caterpillars vs. brown anoles
Florida Museum researcher Andrei Sourakov recently published a paper in the Journal of Natural History on his observations of the…Read More
DNA barcodes help solve butterfly classification conundrums
Take a look at this box of butterflies. How many species do you see? You might be tempted to divide…Read More