What the 'False Eyes' of Butterflies Are Really For

Picture this: it's a beautiful spring day and the graceful fluttering of a butterfly catches your eye. The delicate insect alights on a nearby flower and, for a moment, it's wings remain unfurled. Suddenly you're face-to-face with a hideous monster, complete with 18 eyes and a crooked, segmented nose. For some time, this is what most people thought the strange "eye spot" patterning on some butterflies' wings were for. Now, however, researchers are arguing that they have a far better use than simply frightening gullible humans.