They have found what may be the biggest insect migration

2009/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

Every year millions of brooches fly thousands of miles from southern India to Africa. It can be the biggest insect migration. Biologist Charles Anderson of Maldives looks closely at migration. And, although it was already known that every year millions of brooches reach the Maldives, they did not know exactly where they come from.

After many years of studying the movements of the brooches, Anderson has discovered that these brooches migrate from India to the Maldives across the ocean. To do this they take advantage of the climatic currents, monsoon rains and favorable wind, among others. Its route ranges from 14.000-18,000 kilometers. The largest known insect migration so far is that of the royal butterfly, a displacement of 7,000 kilometers.