A bird attacking a butterfly will often find its beak snapping at thin air. According to new research, that split-second miss isn't just bad luck. It's caused by a visual illusion from the butterfly's wings. The new study – published in the journal Nature, by the University of Exeter and the University of Essex – provides the first evidence that a butterfly's flight and wing pattern work together to create powerful visual illusions that scramble a predator's sense of speed and direction, making them misdirect attacks.
The stripes and spots on many butterflies' wings interfere with the way visual systems try to guess the direction and speed of moving things, boosting false motion cues while hiding the butterfly's true heading,
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing