Open ocean nocturnal insect migration in the Brazilian South Atlantic with comments on flight endurance

PeerJ

article

Ruy J.V. Alves¹  Luíz A.A. Costa²  Alexandre Soares²  Nílber G. Silva¹  Ângelo P. Pinto³ 

[1] Departamento de Botânica, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro;Departamento de Entomologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro;Laboratório de Sistemática de Insetos Aquáticos ,(LABSIA), Departament of Zoology, Universidade Federal do Paraná

关键词: Aeshnidae;    Dragonfly;    Lepidoptera;    Long-distance dispersal;    Migration;    Nocturnal flight;    Pentatomidae;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.7583

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

We observed a nocturnal insect swarm aboard the oceanographic ship Cruzeiro do Sul of the Brazilian Navy, while conducting a survey of the Montague guyot (seamount), 389 km distant from the nearest land in the South Atlantic. The insects came from open sea toward the ship from all directions, attracted by the powerful light of the deck. Most insects collided with the hull and fell into the ocean, but we managed to capture and determine 17 (13 Hemiptera of a single species, three Lepidoptera of three species and one Odonata). With one exception, we are certain that none of the specimens caught originated from the ship. The geographic origin, most likely the coast of Brazil, and flight endurance of these insects were inferred using data on wind speed and direction, provided by the crew of the ship, and were reconstructed using Hysplit modeling of air current trajectories.

【 授权许可】

CC BY