专题：Science报道
迁徙性昆虫Autographa gamma
资料来源: Ian Woiwod
据2月5日的《科学》杂志报道说，新的研究打消了人们认为的昆虫的迁徙只不过是受到风力的驱使的想法，它披露了这些昆虫的飞行行为的复杂性类似于鸟类的迁徙飞行。
根据所搜集到的雷达对天空中迁徙飞行的昆虫进行扫描的数据，Jason Chapman 及其同僚显示，在高空飞行的蛾子和蝴蝶能够选择有利的风向并纠正其方向的偏移，这些策略可使昆虫所覆盖的地面最大化，并使它们的飞行时间得到最佳化。 研究人员还说，人们了解并预测这种迁徙策略的能力会变得越来越重要，因为许多迁徙飞行的昆虫是农业上重要的害虫，并且随着全球气候的变化，这些昆虫越来越多地向更北的纬度迁飞。 研究人员将在夜间高空飞行的迁徙性飞蛾的飞行行为放到一个模拟无生命、靠风传播的颗粒的模型之中，旨在评估这些昆虫所用策略的功效。
Chapman及其同僚观察到，飞蛾在8小时的时间段内可比漂移的颗粒平均多飞行约60英里（100公里），而且总的来说，这些飞蛾所飞行的距离要多出40%。 综上所述，这些结果证明，迁徙性的昆虫能够选择快速、有利的季节性顺风来进行它们长距离飞行中的大部分。
推荐原始出处：
Science 5 February 2010: DOI: 10.1126/science.1182990
Flight Orientation Behaviors Promote Optimal Migration Trajectories in High-Flying Insects
Jason W. Chapman,1,* Rebecca L. Nesbit,1,2 Laura E. Burgin,3,4 Don R. Reynolds,1,5 Alan D. Smith,1 Douglas R. Middleton,3 Jane K. Hill2
Many insects undertake long-range seasonal migrations to exploit temporary breeding sites hundreds or thousands of kilometers apart, but the behavioral adaptations that facilitate these movements remain largely unknown. Using entomological radar, we showed that the ability to select seasonally favorable, high-altitude winds is widespread in large day- and night-flying migrants and that insects adopt optimal flight headings that partially correct for crosswind drift, thus maximizing distances traveled. Trajectory analyses show that these behaviors increase migration distances by 40% and decrease the degree of drift from seasonally optimal directions. These flight behaviors match the sophistication of those seen in migrant birds and help explain how high-flying insects migrate successfully between seasonal habitats.
1 Plant and Invertebrate Ecology Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK.
2 Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5YW, UK.
3 Met Office, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK.
4 School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 8RJ, UK.
5 Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
