The genetic switch behind the butterfly's enhanced visual world of color

The genetic switch behind the butterfly's enhanced visual world of color. Many insects see the world through hundreds of tiny lenses grouped together in a visual organ known as the compound eye. Behind each lens sits a cluster of eight light-detecting cells arranged in a pattern that scientists believe has existed for hundreds of millions of years. A new study sheds light on the genetic switch that allows butterflies to see the world in vibrant colors.