However, researchers found that Adelpha butterflies do not seem to be chemically protected. Latitudinal links to evolutionThe research provides the first known correlation between latitude and the rate of mimicry evolution. By sequencing DNA and RNA from 83 of the 87 known Adelpha species, the team reconstructed a 25-million-year family tree. They discovered that species in the tropics evolve new mimicry patterns at a significantly faster rate than those in temperate regions like North America. A new genus: A mysterious group of Andean butterflies that shared traits with both Adelpha and northern Limenitis butterflies was found to be distinct.