Title: Linking Small-Scale Flight Manoeuvers and Density Profiles to the Vertical Movement of Insects in the Nocturnal Stable Boundary Layer

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3]
  1. Rothamsted Research (United Kingdom); Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. Rothamsted Research (United Kingdom); University of Greenwich (United Kingdom)
  3. Rothamsted Research (United Kingdom)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Huge numbers of insects migrate over considerable distances in the stably-stratified night-time atmosphere with great consequences for ecological processes, biodiversity, ecosystem services and pest management. We used a combination of meteorological radar and lidar instrumentation at a site in Oklahoma, USA, to take a new look at the general assistance migrants receive from both vertical and horizontal airstreams during their long-distance flights. Movement in the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) presents very different challenges for migrants compared to those prevailing in the daytime convective boundary layer, but we found that Lagrangian stochastic modelling is effective at predicting flight manoeuvers in both cases. A key feature for insect transport in the NBL is the frequent formation of a thin layer of fast-moving air – the low-level jet. Modelling suggests that insects can react rapidly to counteract vertical air movements and this mechanism explains how migrants are retained in the jet for long periods (e.g. overnight, and perhaps for several hours early in the morning). This results in movements over much longer distances than are likely in convective conditions, and is particularly significant for the reintroduction of pests to northern regions where they are seasonally absent due to low winter temperatures.

Research Organization:
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI ID:
1629881
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 10; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (57)

Characteristic distributions of angel echoes in the lower atmosphere and their meteorological implications journal December 1975
The role of the US Great Plains low-level jet in nocturnal migrant behavior journal February 2016
High-Altitude Windborne Transport of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Mid-Summer in Northern China journal May 2005
A random walk model for dispersion in inhomogeneous turbulence in a convective boundary layer journal January 1989
A radar study of emigratory flight and layer formation by insects at dawn over southern Britain journal December 2007
Using cloud radar polarization measurements to evaluate stratus cloud and insect echoes journal March 2001
The movement of small insects in the convective boundary layer: linking patterns to processes journal July 2017
A Long-Term Climatology of Southerly and Northerly Low-Level Jets for the Central United States journal July 2008
Ascent and descent rates of high-flying insect migrants determined with a non-coherent vertical-beam entomological radar journal October 2018
Managing migratory insect pests—a review journal January 1993
Seasonal Radar and Meteorological Observations Associated with Nocturnal Insect Flight at Altitudes to 900 Meters journal June 1994
Does a ‘turbophoretic’ effect account for layer concentrations of insects migrating in the stable night-time atmosphere? journal July 2008
Long-range seasonal migration in insects: mechanisms, evolutionary drivers and ecological consequences journal January 2015
The long-distance migration of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Delphacidae) in China: radar observations of mass return flight in the autumn journal November 1991
Mass seasonal bioflows of high-flying insect migrants journal December 2016
The Influence of Atmospheric Structure and Motions on Insect Migration journal January 1988
The Evolution and Genetics of Migration in Insects journal February 2007
Insect Migration, Flight Periodicity and the Boundary Layer journal February 1974
Review of wave‐turbulence interactions in the stable atmospheric boundary layer journal September 2015
An Introduction to Boundary Layer Meteorology book January 1988
Characteristic distributions of angel echoes in the lower atmosphere and their meteorological implications journal December 1975
The role of the US Great Plains low-level jet in nocturnal migrant behavior journal February 2016
High-Altitude Windborne Transport of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Mid-Summer in Northern China journal May 2005
A random walk model for dispersion in inhomogeneous turbulence in a convective boundary layer journal January 1989
Atmospheric scales of biotic dispersal journal November 1999
Low-level jet streams associated with spring aphid migration and current season spread of potato viruses in the U.S. northern Great Plains journal August 2006
The migration of Nilaparvata lugens (stål) (delphacidae) and other hemiptera associated with rice during the dry season in the Philippines: a study using radar, visual observations, aerial netting and ground trapping journal March 1987
A radar study of emigratory flight and layer formation by insects at dawn over southern Britain journal December 2007
Large-Eddy Simulation Of The Stably Stratified Planetary Boundary Layer journal April 2000
Using cloud radar polarization measurements to evaluate stratus cloud and insect echoes journal March 2001
The movement of small insects in the convective boundary layer: linking patterns to processes journal July 2017
A Long-Term Climatology of Southerly and Northerly Low-Level Jets for the Central United States journal July 2008
Ascent and descent rates of high-flying insect migrants determined with a non-coherent vertical-beam entomological radar journal October 2018
Managing migratory insect pests—a review journal January 1993
Seasonal Radar and Meteorological Observations Associated with Nocturnal Insect Flight at Altitudes to 900 Meters journal June 1994
Noctuid migration in Texas within the nocturnal aeroecological boundary layer journal November 2007
Does a ‘turbophoretic’ effect account for layer concentrations of insects migrating in the stable night-time atmosphere? journal July 2008
Birds and insects as radar targets: A review journal January 1985
Long-range seasonal migration in insects: mechanisms, evolutionary drivers and ecological consequences journal January 2015
Radar observations of moths migrating in a nocturnal low-level jet journal August 1985
The long-distance migration of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Delphacidae) in China: radar observations of mass return flight in the autumn journal November 1991
The visual responses of free-flying summer and autumn forms of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae, in an automated flight chamber journal September 1988
Pest insect immigration warning by an atmospheric dispersion model, weather radars and traps journal January 2011
Mass seasonal bioflows of high-flying insect migrants journal December 2016
The Influence of Atmospheric Structure and Motions on Insect Migration journal January 1988
The Oklahoma Mesonet: A Technical Overview journal February 1995
Comparison of Radar Reflectivity and Vertical Velocity Observed with a Scannable C-Band Radar and Two UHF Profilers in the Lower Troposphere journal June 2002
Climatology of the low Level jet journal December 1968
Climatology of the Low-Level Jet at the Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiments Site journal October 2005
Mesoscale Ascent in Nocturnal Low-Level Jets journal May 2018
The Use of Millimeter Doppler Radar Echoes to Estimate Vertical Air Velocities in the Fair-Weather Convective Boundary Layer journal March 2005
Statewide Monitoring of the Mesoscale Environment: A Technical Update on the Oklahoma Mesonet journal March 2007
Airborne Radar Observations of the Flight Behavior of Small Insects in the Atmospheric Convective Boundary Layer journal April 2005
Seasonal Migration of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Over the Bohai Sea journal February 2009
The Evolution and Genetics of Migration in Insects journal February 2007
High-Altitude Migration of Aphids in Maritime and Continental Climates journal October 1968
Insect Migration, Flight Periodicity and the Boundary Layer journal February 1974

Similar Records

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
agroecology
animal migration