These shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show just why butterflies have floated into our hearts ...

Unlike their relatives with larger wings and darker colors, small butterflies with paler hues — particularly those belonging to the Lycaenidae family — have trouble regulating their body ...

[Related: Are monarch butterflies endangered?] The question of how color influences the monarch ... Still, the size of the patches is relatively small. “To the untrained eye, it probably ...

While the ecological factors behind this shift are well-studied, the genetic mechanisms remain unclear. Tian’s childhood fascination with butterflies, inspired by their beauty as he watched them rest ...