New experiments by Andrew Davis and others show that insects’ vibrant colors are related to a good diet as larvae and that even 24 hours without food can dull a butterfly’s colors, according to an article by National Geographic.
Davis, an assistant research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology and study leader, and his colleagues also found that larvae that went without food for more than 24 hours developed smaller wings. Even a small decrease in wing size can add a major delay to migratory journeys of thousand of miles, Davis said.
