One happy consequence of the drought may be fewer pests nibbling on produce. Humans plan for uncertain weather by building reservoirs and flood-control channels. Non-human species cannot similarly prepare for the future, yet somehow they have been able to cope with both droughts and downpours. UC Davis zoology professor Arthur M. Shapiro has been searching for the genetic mechanism evolved in insects that allows them to adapt to climate changes. Shapiro has 20 years of data monitoring many species of butterflies in Northern California. Some species' life cycles correspond to the booms and busts of natural precipitation. Others, like the pesky white European cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae), have found a comfortable home in non-native plants, which in turn depend on artificial supplies of water. A combination of cold and short days delayed Shapiro's first annual sighting of a cabbage butterfly until last week. He says the first butterfly of the spring hatched only to find itself homeless -- without the bright yellow mustard weeds in which it breeds. That may mean fewer critters nibbling on broccoli and cabbage in gardens later this spring. Shapiro can discuss how other animals and plants -- both native and introduced -- deal with climatic uncertainty.