During seasonal changes around the globe, trillions of insects are on the move. Many insect populations, including butterflies, moths, hoverflies, and dragonflies, make repeated seasonal migrations each year. It is only during the past century that biologists have come to accept the concept of insect migration, and new research using radar, citizen science, and stable isotopes has revealed unexpected insights about this phenomenon. Drawing on these findings, we demonstrate how seasonal insect movements are both massive and ecologically influential, with consequences for food webs, nutrient transport, pollination, and infectious disease. Responding to environmental changes, some mobile insect populations are declining or shifting the timing and extent of their journeys. We suggest research and policy priorities for investigating and protecting insect migrations. Outcomes from such work could transform strategies for agricultural pest control and wildlife conservation, and could help preserve the ecological functions performed by migratory insects.

中文翻译：

---

季节性昆虫迁移：大规模，有影响力且被忽视

在全球各地的季节性变化中，数万亿的昆虫在移动。许多昆虫种群，包括蝴蝶，飞蛾，盘旋蝇和蜻蜓，每年都有反复的季节性迁徙。直到上个世纪，生物学家才开始接受昆虫迁移的概念，而利用雷达，公民科学和稳定同位素进行的新研究揭示了对该现象的意想不到的见识。利用这些发现，我们证明了季节性昆虫的移动既具有巨大的影响力，又具有生态影响力，对食物网，营养物运输，授粉和传染病具有影响。为了应对环境变化，一些流动昆虫种群正在减少或改变其行进时间和范围。我们建议研究和政策重点研究和保护昆虫的迁徙。这些工作的成果可以改变农业病虫害防治和野生动植物保护的战略，并有助于保护迁徙昆虫所发挥的生态功能。