Student Article
Millions of Insects Squeeze Through a Narrow Mountain Pass in the Pyrenees Each Year!
Migrate (verb): To move from one place to another, usually for seasonal reasons.
Monitor (verb): To observe and check the progress of something over time.
Species (noun): A group of living organisms that can reproduce with each other.
Crucial (adjective): Extremely important or necessary.
The Pyrenees host a spectacular insect migration every autumn!
A bug superhighway Every autumn, over 17 million insects migrate through a narrow mountain pass in the Pyrenees, located on the border between France and Spain. Scientists have studied this remarkable migration for four years, monitoring the vast number and variety of insects heading south. Meet the travelers The insects, including marmalade hoverflies and cabbage white butterflies, begin their journey in northern Europe and travel south into Spain and possibly beyond for the winter. There were some days that the scientists observed 3,000 hoverflies going through every three feet (one meter) of the pass every minute. Why this spot matters This mountain pass is crucial for many migrating insect species because it offers the easiest route through the high mountains. Researchers now believe that billions of insects migrate through the Pyrenees every autumn, making it a key location for studying insect migration.
© Simon Birch / Our Media
Migrate (verb): To move from one place to another, usually for seasonal reasons.
Monitor (verb): To observe and check the progress of something over time.
Species (noun): A group of living organisms that can reproduce with each other.
Crucial (adjective): Extremely important or necessary.