#  Living portions of butterfly wings prevent overheating  

 





January 31, 2020

 

 

- [ News ](/news-categories/news)
 
 

 

A recent study from MCZ Faculty-Curator of Lepidoptera, [Naomi Pierce](https://piercelab.oeb.harvard.edu), and collaborators, looked at tissues in butterfly wings that are supplied by circulatory, neural and tracheal systems, indicating that the wing is a dynamic, living structure. Behavioral assays show that butterflies use wings to sense visible and infrared radiation, responding with specialized behaviors to prevent overheating of their wings. The study is published in [Nature Communications](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14408-8) and highlighted by [Science Friday](https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/butterfly-wings-temperature/), The Economist, and others.



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Entomology ](/news/entomology)