Mmastodon ScienceBiology first seen 14 h ago, last 18 min ago, peak #3

Butterfly wings create barber-pole illusions that confuse predators

Original: 🦋 NEW: # Butterfly wings create barbershop-pole style motion # illusions as they deform during flapping, shifting stripe

Researchers studying nearly 400 European butterfly species found that wings deform during flapping, causing stripe patterns to shift in barber-pole-style motion illusions. Simulations showed the effect is widespread across species, likely helping butterflies mislead predators about their true speed and direction of travel mid-flight.

Why now: New findings reveal a widespread optical illusion in butterflies that may explain how they evade predators.

butterfliesEuropean butterfly species

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Evidence

• 🦋 NEW: # Butterfly wings create barbershop-pole style motion # illusions as they deform during flapping, shifting stripe angles and confusing # predators about speed and direction. Simulations of nearly 400 European species showed the effect is widespread, touchscreen… · tksst@fediscience.org · 7

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