(May 27; 2014) Butterflies and dragonflies with lighter colours are
out-competing darker-coloured insects in the face of climate change.
In a new study published in Nature Communications,
scientists from Imperial College London, Philipps-University Marburg and University
of Copenhagen have shown that as the climate warms across Europe, communities
of butterflies and dragonflies consist of more lighter coloured species. Darker
coloured species are retreating northwards to cooler areas, but lighter
coloured species are also moving their geographical range north as Europe gets
warmer.