The Most Unlikely Migration
17 million insects cross the Pyrenees each year, with enormous impacts on the environment. The post The Most Unlikely Migration appeared first on Nautilus.
n late summer, as the days shorten and begin to cool, the marmalade hoverfly begins to prepare her body for the long journey ahead. Her flight muscles strengthen, her eyesight sharpens, and her immune system bulks up until she is no longer a frail maggot, but a formidable creature ready to take part in a massive seasonal migration. When the winds finally turn favorable, she mates, packs up the sperm, and flies south. With the help of tailwinds, she flies across the plains of Europe, crosses the Pyrenees mountains that straddle Spain and France, and lands in the green
