Moths and Surveys Officer

rothamsted research: It looking like it going to be an above average year, providing the conditions are right and there a southerly wind, said Zoe Randle, a surveys officer at the charity Butterfly Conservation, according to The Guardian. Related:Why the Euro 2016 final was overrun by moths The species is relatively unremarkable to look at, no threat to woolly jumpers and no serious risk to crops as its caterpillars eat a variety of plants, but it does make an incredible migratory journey. Thousands of the Silver Y moths – Autographa gamma – are winging their way from the continent to Britain, and while they will not match the many millions that swarmed as far north as Shetland in 1996, experts are predicting a strong year. A study by Rothamsted Research using radar found that the 2cm-long moths use winds to blast across the sea at speeds of up to 60mph, or as much as six times faster than their own flight speed. It cool that something so small can travel such long distances at such great speeds. They select the altitude where the wind speeds are fastest – 200-1,000 metres above ground – and can travel up to 250 miles in one night. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.