[Animals] Butterflies cross Atlantic ocean on 2,600-mile non-stop flight never recorded in any insect before

[FRIDAY THE 13]

 

Scientists have found the first evidence of insects crossing an entire ocean — after finding butterflies that made a 2,600-mile (4,200 kilometers) journey across the Atlantic.

Gerard Talavera, an evolutionary biologist at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona, made the discovery in French Guiana in 2013, when he spotted a flock of painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) sitting on the sand, their wings tattered and shot through with holes.

This discovery puzzled scientists, as the tiny species can be found around the world, but not in South America. Now, after a decade of investigation, the researchers have pieced together an answer for how the butterflies got there: They embarked on the first transoceanic flight recorded in an insect. 

 

https://www.livescience.com/animals/butterflies/butterflies-cross-atlantic-ocean-on-2600-mile-non-stop-flight-never-recorded-in-any-insect-before