How the monarch got its spots: Long-distance migration selects for larger white spots on monarch butterfly wings.

ABSTRACT: Elucidating the adaptations that promote flight in animals can aid the understanding of evolution and species divergence, and/or provide inspiration for aerospace engineering and the design of better aerial vehicles. The famed long-distance migration of monarch butterflies in North America still holds many questions and opportunities for inspiration. For example, there is little research on whether the monarch's primary wing colors themselves (black, orange, or white) have any aerodynamic or migration function. Dark colors on wings of other animals have recently been shown to aid flight by enhancing solar absorption, which reduces drag forces. However, too much black surface could be problematic for monarchs, which are exposed to increasing amounts of solar energy along their flightpath. T

SUBMITTER: Davis AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10284392 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature