Quantifying the Aerodynamic Power Required for Flight and Testing for Adaptive Wind Drift in Passion-Vine Butterflies Heliconius sara (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Simple Summary Theory predicts that flying animals maximizing their migratory distance should adjust their airspeeds for headwinds and tailwinds. This energy-conserving adjustment in airspeed is based on the theory that as an insect increases its airspeed, the power required to fly increases rapidly above a minimum power velocity. Here we sought to quantify the aerodynamic power required to fly at different speeds in a migratory butterfly Heliconius sara, and predict the adjustment in airspeed necessary to minimize energy consumption in headwinds or tailwinds. We filmed butterflies as they migrated naturally using two high-speed video cameras. Simultaneously we measured the butterflies' airspeeds while they flew across the Panama Canal, and we captured the same butterflies to measure weight distribution and the shape of the body and wings. We found that the power required to fly increased non-linearly from a minimum power velocity of 0.9 m/s. Faced with a headwind or tailwind, the butterflies increased or decreased their airspeed in accordance with that predicted. However, the null hypothesis of no compensation could not be rejected. This approach can be applied to predict insect movement between agricultural patches and the maximization of fuel efficiency when migrating overseas. Although theoretical work on optimal migration has been largely restricted to birds, relevant free-flight data are now becoming available for migratory insects. Here we report, for the first time in passion-vine butterflies, that Heliconius sara migrates directionally. To test optimal migration models for insects, we quantified the aerodynamic power curve for free-flying H. sara as they migrated across the Panama Canal. Using synchronized stereo-images from high-speed video cameras, we reconstructed three-dimensional flight kinematics of H. sara migrating naturally across the Panama Canal. We also reconstructed flight kinematics from a single-camera view of butterflies flying through a flight tunnel. We calculated the power requirements for flight for H. sara over a range of flight velocities. The relationship between aerodynamic power and velocity was J-shaped across the measured velocities with a minimum power velocity of 0.9 m/s and a maximum range velocity of 2.25 m/s. Migrating H. sara did not compensate for crosswind drift. Changes in airspeed with tailwind drift were consistent with the null hypothesis that H. sara did not compensate for tailwind drift, but they were also not significantly different from those predicted to maximize the migratory range of the insects.

Automated summary

This study aimed to quantify the aerodynamic power required for migration in the butterfly Heliconius sara and predict the adjustment in airspeed necessary to minimize energy consumption in headwinds or tailwinds. The research found that the power required to fly increased non-linearly from a minimum power velocity of 0.9 m/s. The study provides insights into insect movement prediction and fuel efficiency maximization during migration.