Readying for take-off

Long haul flight ahead!

Painted lady butterflies have in recent years been discovered to rival long-distance migratory birds in the extent of their range,  adults travelling north  to Europe from tropical West Africa in the spring and their offspring completing the return flight in the autumn, from as far away as the edge of the Arctic. Despite brains the size of a pinhead these butterflies possess an instinct that will take them over the Mediterranean and the Sahara, travelling at an altitude of 3000 feet to the birthplace of their parents.
May she arrive safely at her far-flung destination.

Info here.