Tracking the migration of dragonflies


It sounds like an April Fool joke. Scientists tracking the migration of dragonflies have attached tiny transmitters to the insects and tracked them from planes and land bases. The little buzzers can travel as much as 85 miles a day, setting off when they know there’s going to be a useful tailwind.

Each transmitter weighed about a third of a gram and had enough battery life to track an individual for 10 days; but tagging such small creatures is far from easy.

“The challenge is first catching the dragonfly,” said Professor Wilcove.

Once caught, each transmitter was attached with a couple of drops of superglue and some eye-lash adhesive.

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