ScienceThe GuardianAll of a flutter: how butterflies avoid being a predator’s lunch
A British study found butterfly wing patterns and fluttering flight create visual illusions that make predators miss them, explaining how they survive despite being easy to spot.
Their whirring wings and bright patterns help keep them safe from birds, British study finds
Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Essex found butterfly wing patterns create motion illusions that confuse attacking birds.
The flapping wings scramble a predator's sense of speed and direction, similar to the barber pole illusion where stripes appear to move upward on a spinning pole.
The study suggests this motion confusion may have evolved very early in butterfly history, as swallowtails, thought to be closest to ancestral butterflies, are among the best at it.
The study found different wing patterns create different illusions, with swallowtail butterflies among the best at confusing predators using motion tricks.
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