Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
smithsonianmag.com
Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
1–10 of 101 posts
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#2How is this possible? I cant even walk 10 miles without needing food. Where did the butterflies store their energy? So many questions...
Amazing if true.
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#3How is this possible? I cant even walk 10 miles without needing food. Where did the butterflies store their energy? So many questions... Amazing if true.
> How is this possible?
Wind ?
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#4How is this possible? I cant even walk 10 miles without needing food. Where did the butterflies store their energy? So many questions... Amazing if true.
Just two words to add to this theme:
Pantala flavescens
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#5How is this possible? I cant even walk 10 miles without needing food. Where did the butterflies store their energy? So many questions... Amazing if true.
> How is this possible? Wind ?
From the article: “We estimate that without wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km [485 miles] before consuming all their fat and, therefore, their energy.”
So they can fly 485 miles without wind? that is still an unbelievably long way!
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#6Summary: under the right condition like wind butterflies fly a long way.
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#7I live in a city in northeastern Brazil where the prevailing winds blow from the sea to the land. From March to May, the air is filled with butterflies, creating a striking natural spectacle. Curiously, these butterflies mostly fly against the wind, heading towards the sea and seemingly aiming for Africa, despite no nearby islands. It's an annual phenomenon that remains a mystery to me... a butterfly on an endless journey.
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#8How is this possible? I cant even walk 10 miles without needing food. Where did the butterflies store their energy? So many questions... Amazing if true.
Just two words to add to this theme: Pantala flavescens
> Pantala flavescens wikipedia: Globe skimmers make an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km (about 11,200 miles); to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km (3,730 miles)—one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species.
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> How is this possible? Wind ?
From the article: “We estimate that without wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km [485 miles] before consuming all their fat and, therefore, their energy.” So they can fly 485 miles without wind? that is still an unbelievably long way!
Amazing!!! But, jee, think of all the butterflies and other insects picked up by the wind that didn’t make it
Re: Butterflies flew 2,600 miles across the Atlantic without stopping
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
> How is this possible? Wind ?
From the article: “We estimate that without wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km [485 miles] before consuming all their fat and, therefore, their energy.” So they can fly 485 miles without wind? that is still an unbelievably long way!
It's about San Francisco to San Diego, or the length of Italy (Venice to Bari, where the "heel of the boot" starts).