The globe skimmer dragonfly, under 1 gram, may fly up to 1,000 km across the Indian Ocean every year
Scientists think it rides monsoon winds from southern India to the Maldives, though the full route is still a hypothesis.
- About 5 cm long, roughly 300 mg
- Four to five generations a year
- Full route not yet tracked
A tiny traveller
The globe skimmer (Pantala flavescens) is about 5 cm long and weighs roughly 300 milligrams. Large numbers arrive in the Maldives every October even though the islands have very little fresh water. A 2009 study suggested they travel about 500 to 1,000 km from southern India, perhaps flying more than 1,000 metres above the ground.
How it might work
A 2021 energy model estimated about 230 hours of flight using a mix of gliding and flapping, against about 4 hours of continuous flapping. A 2023 IIT Kharagpur study proposed a seasonal loop with winds helping later generations return, over four to five generations a year. Scientists have not yet tracked individual dragonflies across the whole journey, so this remains a hypothesis.
