When it comes to butterflies, people prefer pretty ones. That’s a problem for scientists.

by Ileana Wachtel, University of Southern California
July 23, 2024

Research shows humans often perceive attractive people as more intelligent, healthier, better leaders and more trustworthy. It turns out this bias extends to the insect world.

A new study by scientists at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences reveals that data reported on a popular community science platform is biased. On iNaturalist, butterflies with captivating markings, easily identifiable features or those that are familiar species are reported more frequently than obscure species with no distinct qualities.

Why it matters: Online community science — or participatory science — platforms enable nature-loving non-scientists to contribute data that scientists use to track insect populations.

• While their sightings contribute to conservation decisions, scientific knowledge and education, community scientists can introduce misleading biases, according to the USC Dornsife study.
• Understanding and accounting for these biases is key for scientists to estimate species distributions, assess conservation priorities and identify population trends.
• The study provides insights for enhancing participatory science programs and butterfly conservation.

Keep reading: https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/community-science-butterfly-reporting-skewed-by-personal-biases/

Read the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2783