An eye gene colors butterfly wings red

Heliconius butterflies were reared in butterfly houses at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's facilities in Gamboa, Panama. Red may mean STOP or I LOVE YOU! A red splash on a toxic butterfly's wing screams DON'T EAT ME! In nature, one toxic butterfly species may mimic the wing pattern of another toxic species in the area. By using the same signal, they send a stronger message: DON'T EAT US!

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