How do the butterflies do it?
It’s striking that butterflies can fly over the Atlantic, and researchers also wanted to understand how they could do it.
They estimated the energetic requirements of the butterflies using different flight strategies. They found that without wind assistance, the butterflies could travel a maximum of 780 km before needing to refuel. However, with the help of the easterly trade winds, they could travel up to 1,900 km. By using an alternating flight strategy of active flight and minimum-effort gliding, similar to monarch butterflies, the painted ladies could sustain the journey across the Atlantic in 5 to 8 days, provided they had sufficient fat reserves.
“The butterflies could only have completed this flight using a strategy alternating between active flight, which is costly energetically, and gliding the wind. We estimate that without wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km before consuming all their fat and, therefore, their energy,” says Eric Toro-Delgado, one of the article’s co-authors.
Nature in motion
This study highlights the underestimated capacity for long-distance dispersal in insects. The discovery of butterflies completing such a journey suggests that other insects may also engage in similar long-range migrations. The role of trade winds as aerial highways connecting continents is crucial, particularly for insects that rely on wind assistance for long-distance travel.
The painted ladies’ transoceanic flight is a testament to the incredible adaptability and resilience of insects. It also serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between biology and atmospheric dynamics that shapes the natural world. This discovery opens new avenues for research into insect migration and highlights the importance of preserving the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems.
“I think this study does a good job of demonstrating how much we tend to underestimate the dispersal abilities of insects. Furthermore, it’s entirely possible that we are also underestimating the frequency of these types of dispersal events and their impact on ecosystems,” says Megan Reich, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa who also co-authored the study.
Journal Reference: Tomasz Suchan et al, A trans-oceanic flight of over 4,200 km by painted lady butterflies, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49079-2
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Source link : https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/animals-ecology/painted-lady-butterfly-migration-26062024/
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Publish date : 2024-06-26 13:29:40
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