Small Dragonfly can be Airman longest distance in the world

'Pantala flavescens' found in several countries, including India, have an estimated 7,081 kilometers or more range.

A small dragonfly found in several countries, including India may be more prolific long distance traveler of the animal world - fly thousands of miles over the ocean as it migrates across continents, scientists say.

Scientists at Rutgers University in Newark (RU-N) found that populations of this dragonfly, called Pantala flavescens, as far away as Texas, eastern Canada, Japan, Korea, India and South America, have profiles genetic similarly there is only one likely explanation.

These insects are extremely long distances that its small size, breeding with each other, and the creation of a common gene pool in the world that would be impossible if not intermingle travel, researchers said.

"This is the first time anyone has looked at the genes to see how far these insects have traveled," said Jessica Ware, assistant professor of biology at the RU-N.

"If North America Pantala only raised with North American and Japanese Pantala Pantala only grew up with the Japanese Pantala, we would expect to see that in the genetic results that differ from each other," Ware said. "Because we do not see that, the mixture of genes is suggested across large geographic areas," he said.

They have adaptations

"These dragonflies have adaptations such as increased surfaces on the wings that allow them to use the wind to carry them," Ware said.

Dragonflies, in fact, already been observed across the Indian Ocean from Asia to Africa.

"They are following the weather. Ranging from India, where it is dried to Africa season, where is the wet season, and apparently they do once a year," said Daniel Troast, who analyzed the DNA samples in the laboratory Ware.

They need moisture to multiply

"Moisture is a must for Pantala to play, and that's why these insects would be driven to even attempt such a dangerous trip," Ware said.

The species depends on it. While many die on the way, as long as it is enough, the species survives.

flight patterns seem to vary. The most robust dragonflies could make the trip nonstop, catching the strong air currents or even hurricane winds and slides to the end.

Others may be planes.

Freshwater as a breeding ground

Sweet Pantala need to mate and lay their eggs water - and if they detect a freshwater pool, even on an island in the middle of an ocean - are likely to use these pools to mate, the researchers said.

After the eggs hatch and the babies are mature enough to fly - it has only a few weeks - the new dragonflies join right now multigenerational trip intercontinental and swarm, where their parents left.

New record holders

Monarch butterflies that migrate across North America were thought to insects that migrate longer, traveling around 4023 km in each direction, but Pantala break any record of migration would, with its planned 7,081 km range or Moreover, the researchers said.