
Pollen-Powered Lifespans: Butterflies Reveal Hidden Longevity Secrets
Researchers mapped maximum lifespans across Heliconiini butterflies and found remarkable variation, with pollen-fed species such as Heliconius living longer (up to about 348 days) than non-pollen eaters; Myscelia cyaniris records the longest at 380 days. The study suggests heritable factors and pollen-derived nutrients may boost aging resistance and energy, though diet interacts with genetics and sample size; results published in Nature Communications and highlight the complex biology of aging in closely related butterflies.













