Hot temperatures can dull blue morpho butterflies' iridescent scales

Blue morpho butterflies have captivated the human eye for centuries. We even have one as an emoji on our phones.

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. In a recent experiment, researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) documented for the first time that hot temperatures during development can reduce the brightness of their iridescence.

Scientists reported their results in a recent publication in the journal PNAS Nexus. Consistent with other studies, they found that temperate and hot temperatures extended the time the butterflies spent as pupae.

Under a warming climate, the color of some of our favorite iridescent animals can be altered, and the brightness of their iridescent display can become duller," explained lead author and STRI fellow Juliette Rubin. The blue iridescent color we see in morpho butterflies doesn't come from pigments.

It comes from tiny ridged structures on the scales of their wings called nanostructures. The change in color we found in adults after exposing pupae to hot temperatures can be partly explained by the distance between nanostructures shrinking, which narrows the entire scale," Rubin explained.

This probably caused less overlapping between the scales. " The results of this study may help predict the effects of rising temperatures during the development of different animals.

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