https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/butterfly-wing-patterns-in-flight-create-powerful-illusory-motion-cuesContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/butterfly-wing-patterns-in-flight-create-powerful-illusory-motion-cueshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/butterfly-wing-patterns-in-flight-create-powerful-illusory-motion-cues#u99210Sun, 04 Oct 2026 15:31:16 +0000Butterflies use high-contrast wing patterns combined with flight dynamics to create powerful optical illusions that confuse predators, according to new research published in Nature. When a bird attempts to strike a flying butterfly, the combination of wing motion and patterns causes the predator to misjudge both speed and direction, leading its beak to snap at thin air. Researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Essex used high-speed cameras filming take-offs at 1,000 frames per second, computer evolution experiments, and behavioural tests to validate how these visual cues