Tropical butterflies are able to skillfully change their appearance depending on the time of year. Scientists from the National University of Singapore have figured out exactly how it works. It turns out that there is a special “switch” in the DNA of these insects that regulates the pattern on the wings in response to changes in temperature.

Many insects adapt to their environment in amazing ways. Some butterflies look completely different in the dry and wet seasons. For example, during the rainy season, the African butterfly Bicyclus anynana has large patterns on its wings – the so-called eyes. And during the dry season, these same patterns become much smaller. This helps butterflies to better camouflage and survive in changing conditions.

For a long time it remained a mystery how exactly this mechanism works. The team, led by Professor Antonia Monteiro, discovered that everything is decided by a simple piece of DNA – a kind of genetic “switch”.

The work of scientists published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolutionshowed that the key role is played by gen called Antennapedia (Antp). Researchers have found that its activity directly depends on the temperature at which the caterpillar developed.

The DNA switch activates the Antp gene in exactly the cells where eyes should form. When the scientists turned off this switch, the butterflies lost the ability to adjust the size of their patterns depending on temperature.

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