The eastern population of North American monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) migrates annually in early autumn to a mountainous region in central Mexico. The incredibly long distances covered during these journeys, and the striking sight of these butterfly populations on the move have captivated people’s imaginations. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Tenger-Trolander et al.1 document the loss of migratory behaviour in monarchs that had been bred in captivity over multiple generations.
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