Butterfly's Eyespots are Targets

Eyespots are found on many species of fish, animals, and plants. Scientists believed the main purpose of eyespots was to instil a startle response or create confusion in an approaching predator. But a new study of butterflies by Dr. Kathleen Prudic from the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University has found that eyespots on their wings deflect predator attack away from the insect's head and body. In experiments using the African bush brown butterfly, those with larger, more conspicuous eyespots on their wings survived for longer periods of time than those with smaller eyespots - when both were exposed to a predator. The eyespot adaptation allows the butterfly to survive an attack and go on to reproduce.

Related Links

- Paper in Proceedings: B
- Oregon State University release
- Discovery story
- Entomology Today story