From Digital Camera World · · 1m 10s
Butterfly Wings Create Optical Illusions to Avoid Predators
Researchers filmed butterflies at 1,000 fps to prove wing patterns confuse predators.
In brief
Researchers filmed butterflies at 1,000 fps to prove wing patterns confuse predators. Butterfly wing patterns create optical illusions that help birds miss them. Originally reported by Digital Camera World.
Butterfly Wings Create Optical Illusions
Optical illusions aren't just for internet entertainment new research suggests butterfly wing patterns help avoid predators.
1,000 Frames Per Second Recording
Researchers from England's University of Essex and University of Exeter recorded five butterfly species at 1,057 frames per second.
Bird Vision Model Analysis
The team fed footage through a bird-vision computer model to compare butterfly movement with actual motion.
Butterfly Wing Illusion Effect
Wing patterns create a barber pole illusion making birds miss butterflies or hit less delicate parts.
Pattern Variations Across Species
The researchers studied seven patterns across five species including male-female differences in two species.
Computer-Generated Patterns
Computer models evolved 50,000 wing patterns finding ones very similar to actual butterfly species.
Research Published in Nature
The research was published on September 30 in the journal Nature after peer review.
What it means
Butterfly wing patterns create optical illusions that help birds miss them.
