LingVo.club
📖+10 XP
🎧+10 XP
✅+15 XP
Single gene switch helps butterflies copy wing patterns — Level A1 — white and black butterfly perched on brown stem in close up photography during daytime

Single gene switch helps butterflies copy wing patternsCEFR A1

31 Dec 2025

LevelA1
A2
B1
B2

Adapted from U. Chicago, Futurity • CC BY 4.0

Photo by Marta Costa, Unsplash

Level A1 – Beginner
2 min
83 words
  • Many butterflies copy the look of other species nearby.
  • This copying helps them avoid hungry predators like birds.
  • Scientists recently studied a kind of butterfly.
  • They closely looked at colours on butterfly wings.
  • One small change makes female wings look different.
  • Only female butterflies can develop the copy pattern.
  • Females add orange spots to white wing patches.
  • Males keep the usual white patches on black.
  • The changed wings help females survive better in nature.
  • Scientists used several modern tools to study the change.

Difficult words

  • species — group of similar living things
  • predator — animal that hunts and eats other animals
    predators
  • develop — begin to have or grow something new
  • pattern — regular or repeated design on an animal
  • survive — stay alive in the natural world
  • spot — small round mark or colour area
    spots

Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.

Discussion questions

  • Have you ever seen a butterfly?
  • Do you like the colours on butterfly wings?
  • Where do you see butterflies near your home?

Related articles

Tofersen slows a rare form of ALS — Level A1
26 Dec 2025

Tofersen slows a rare form of ALS

A long-term study shows that tofersen, a drug for a rare genetic form of ALS, can slow disease progression and help some people improve. The trial followed participants for several years and recorded benefits and side effects.

Level
A1
A2
B1
B2
Read