In pictures: Interbreeding key to colourful butterfly wings

By JULIA HORTON
Published on 19/07/2012 00:34

Some of the most beautiful butterfly wing patterns are caused by interbreeding which helps the creatures live longer, new Scottish-led research published yesterday revealed.

Experts at Edinburgh University have discovered that rare breeding between different species of butterfly has helped some acquire the brightly coloured, protective wing designs of others.

DNA studies of butterflies in the Amazon have shown that unrelated species with similar wing colourings share the DNA that controls their striking appearance. The bright colours act as a warning to predators that the butterflies are bad to eat – protecting them from attack. The discovery was made by a team of researchers, led by Edinburgh scientists, who unravelled the DNA sequence of exotic butterflies in South America.