Climate Change Could Reduce Spotting in Meadow Brown Butterflies, Study Finds

University of Exeter researchers predict a year-on-year decrease in spotting as global temperatures rise, challenging long-held scientific views.

Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that female Meadow Brown butterflies develop fewer spots when they grow in warmer temperatures, suggesting that climate change could make them less spotty.
The scientists discovered that females that developed at 11°C had six spots on average, while those developing at 15°C had just three.
The findings challenge long-held scientific views about why these butterflies have varying numbers of spots.
The researchers predict that spotting will decrease year on year as our climate warms.
This is an unexpected consequence of climate change as we tend to think about species moving north, rather than changing appearance.