The mysterious journey of Distelfalter: 10,000 kilometers through Africa!

The mysterious journey of Distelfalter: 10,000 kilometers through Africa!

Tschad, Afrika - The fascinating hikes of the thistle butterfold are again in the focus of science! Every year, these majestic butterflies cover incredible routes, with up to 10,000 kilometers from Northern Europe to deep to Africa. As the Kleine Zeitung reports, the butterflies continue their journey in generations: each individual takes on a section, while the descendants continue. Some moths choose to linger in the Mediterranean, while others have the courage to cross the Sahara and spend the winter there.

secrets of the hike decrypted

As part of a study, headed by researcher Shipilina at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, thistle butters were collected in various regions such as Spain, Portugal and North Africa. With a method called isotope geolocalization, the researchers were able to find out where these butterflies were born and how far they traveled. The analysis of the wings showed no genetic differences between short and long -distance traveling butterflies, which indicates that travel behavior is not related to gender, wing shape or size.

In addition, there were new findings on how the thistle butterfly choose their travel destinations. According to the researchers, the moths are apparently based on the current environmental conditions: While in Sweden the changes in the daily length of flying to fly south, their fellow species in the south of France remain in the warm Mediterranean. This behavior could be decisive for the survival of the species in a rapidly changing environment.

gigantic wintering areas discovered

Thanks to an expedition of Talavera and his mentor Roger Vila, supported by a scholarship from the National Geographic Society, further secrets from Distelfalter have now been unveiled. The two scientists found huge swarms of thistle folds in Africa, including up to 20,000 copies per hectare in countries such as Chad and Benin, where the animals spend the winter. As National Geographic , these butterflies cover irritating routes and are therefore one of the most common types of butterfly.