A 30 million year old butterfly with a distinct wing pattern has been found

The fossil was found in sediments in southern France dating back 34-28 million years ago.

Unlike most similar finds, this butterfly has not only preserved its wings, but also their pattern - including characteristic spots similar to "eyes".

The head, breast and part of the abdomen are also recognisable, allowing scientists to pinpoint its place in evolution.

Details

The new species was named Apaturoides monikae. It turned out to be close to modern "spillover butterflies", a group of butterflies that still exist today.

This preservation is considered exceptional: usually the wings of butterflies are destroyed and do not reach us in fossil form.

Why it's important

The find provides a rare "anchor point" for understanding butterfly evolution.

Scientists say

• the age of the appearance of modern lineages can be more accurately determined
• the find helps reconcile fossil data with genetic data
• it's one of the few well-preserved examples of the butterfly's evolution

Simply put, it helps us understand when butterflies became as we know them today.

Background

Fossil butterflies are one of the rarest categories of finds because their wings are too fragile and hardly ever preserved.

Even found specimens often cannot be accurately categorised.

Source

The study is based on the analysis of a well-preserved 34-28 million-year-old butterfly fossil found in southern France. The work was published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica (2026).