The mass migration of monarch butterflies in North America is one of the insect world's fantastic feats, with millions embarking on the arduous journey from as far north as Canada down to Mexico and the California coast each autumn.
Scientists who scoured the genome of these colorful insects offered new insight on Wednesday into this annual airborne adventure. They pinpointed a single gene related to the efficiency of flight muscles that plays a major role in the monarch butterflies' migrations.
Their study, published in the journal Nature, also identified the gene behind the butterfly's striking orange-and-black coloration.