 The report read: "In late spring earlier this year, a large-scale migration of insects arrived on the Isles of Scilly and mainland Cornwall. "Species included many migratory butterflies and moths such as the Painted Lady and Hummingbird Hawkmoth, but the majority of the arrivals were Hoverflies. "These hoverflies were of a variety of species, but the main insect observed in the experiment was the glass-winged Syrphus. "Analysis of wind conditions revealed that the insects had most likely flown across the channel from Western France, a minimum distance of 200km." They could be back again in the future, experts say ( Getty Images) Researchers captured the hoverflies to conduct their experiment, catching them while feeding on flowers. Will Hawkes, PhD student from the University of Exeter's Centre of Ecology and Conservation at the Penryn Campus in Cornwall, said: 'Sat in a field on the beautiful Isles of Scilly, I could hardly believe it. Nearly every single hoverfly we released flew purposefully north, as if pulled by a magnet!" Dr Kar){kind=link}
Cornwall was plagued by thousands and thousands of hoverflies earlier this year and now experts at the University of Exeter, Devon, say there could be more to come
A new study has revealed the reasons behind a huge insect invasion in early summer and experts says it won’t be the last we’ve seen of them.
The infestation arrived in the south west of England earlier this year, with Cornwall the worst hit.
Now, a team at the University of Exeter has shown that the hoverflies were migrating after arriving in the the Isles of Scilly before moving to the mainland.
The paper – entitled Migratory hoverflies orientate north during spring migration – warns that it is unlikely to be a one-off.