An international team, led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, has documented a record-breaking transoceanic flight of more than 4,200 km undertaken by painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui). This study, published in the journal Nature Communications, reveals that the journey, which lasted between five and eight days, was made possible with the help of trade winds.

The team of researchers includes experts from the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB), a collaboration between the CSIC and the Consorci Museu Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, as well as from the W. Szafer Botanical Institute (Poland), the University of Ottawa (Canada), the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), and Harvard University (United States).

In October 2013, Gerard Talavera, a researcher at the CSIC’s Botanical Institute of Barcelona, identified several painted lady butterflies on the Atlantic beaches of French Guiana, an unusual observation since this species is not typically found in South America. This raised the question of their origin.

A Vanessa cardui is about to take flight
A Vanessa cardui is about to take flight. Credit: Roger Vila / CSIC

To unravel the route and origin of these butterflies, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted. Two main hypotheses were considered: that they could have originated in North America or in Africa/Europe. By analyzing wind trajectories, a sustained pattern from West Africa was observed, suggesting that the butterflies might have crossed the Atlantic.

The analysis of the genetic diversity of the butterflies, which involved collecting samples from populations across all continents, allowed the researchers to conclude that the specimens observed in South America were genetically related to populations from Europe and Africa, thus ruling out a North American origin. Additionally, by analyzing the DNA of pollen transported by the butterflies, they identified two plant species exclusive to tropical Africa, confirming that the butterflies visited flowers in that region.

The analysis of stable hydrogen and strontium isotopes in the butterflies’ wings, which retain isotopic signals from the place where they grew during their larval stage, allowed inference of their natal origin. The data suggest that their origin was likely in Western European countries such as France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, or Portugal.

The painted lady butterflies reached South America from West Africa, flying at least 4,200 km over the Atlantic. But their journey might have started in Europe, crossing three continents and covering a distance of 7,000 km or more. This is an extraordinary achievement for such a small insect, says Clément Bataille, professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada and co-author of the article.

The regression of the wind suggests the transoceanic route followed by painted butterflies
The regression of the wind suggests the transoceanic route followed by painted butterflies. Credit: Tomasz Suchan et al.

We see butterflies as symbols of fragility, but this study shows that they are capable of incredible feats. There is still much to discover about their capabilities, notes Roger Vila, a researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra) and co-author of the study.

The researchers modeled the energetic cost of the journey and calculated that the flight across the ocean, without stops, lasted between 5 and 8 days. This was made possible by favorable wind currents. The butterflies could only have completed this flight by using a strategy alternating between minimal effort to avoid falling into the sea, facilitated by ascending winds, and active flight, which requires higher energy consumption. Without wind, the butterflies could have flown a maximum of 780 km before exhausting all their energy, comments Eric Toro-Delgado, one of the authors of the article.

The study also highlights the importance of the Saharan air layer as an aerial dispersal highway. These wind currents, predominant throughout the year, transport large amounts of Saharan dust from Africa to America and participate in important biogeochemical cycles. The quantity of biological components transported, including living organisms, still needs to be studied in depth.

This finding suggests the existence of natural aerial corridors connecting continents, facilitating the dispersal of species on a larger scale than previously imagined. This discovery opens new perspectives on the abilities of insects to disperse over long distances, even across seas and oceans. We may be underestimating the frequency and impact of these movements on our ecosystems, comments Gerard Talavera, the study leader. Throughout history, migratory phenomena have been crucial in defining the distributions of species as we observe them today, he adds.

The team of researchers emphasizes that with global warming and changes in climate patterns, these long-distance dispersal events are likely to increase, which could have significant implications for biodiversity and global ecosystems.

It is essential to promote systematic monitoring of dispersing insects, which could help predict and mitigate potential risks to biodiversity resulting from global change, concludes Talavera.

SOURCES

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Suchan T, Bataille CP, Reich MS, Toro-Delgado E, Vila R, Pierce NE, Talavera G. (2024). A trans-oceanic flight of over 4,200 km by painted lady butterflies. Nature Communications. DOI:doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49079-2

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