Decoding Painted Lady Butterfly Migration

Key Points

• 1Scientists are studying insect migration with new technologies.
• 2Painted lady butterflies don't have significant genetic differences between short- and long-distance migrants.
• 3The distances across which each member migrates appears to be influenced by environmental conditions.
• 4The painted lady butterfly is found on every continent except Antarctica and South America and can travel up to 15,000 km.
• 5Each cycle spans eight to 10 generations, with each butterfly living for two to four weeks on average.