When you look up in the sky, what do you see besides the blue sky, clouds, the occaÂsionÂal bird and plane, the Sun, and the Moon? In this whimÂsiÂcal aniÂmatÂed video from NPR, we learn about the varÂiÂous insects – the wasps, aphids, beeÂtles, etc. – that inhabÂit the upper levÂels of the troÂposÂphere. What’s incredÂiÂble is that in the peak sumÂmer months, there are bilÂlions of these insects high in the sky, with some cruisÂing at an altiÂtude of 19,000 feet, equivÂaÂlent to the height of Mount McKinÂley!
For the botanists out there: the title of the video is a litÂtle misÂleadÂing, as the word bug actuÂalÂly refers to an insect of the order Hemiptera; to be preÂcise, we have to call it the bilÂlion-insect highÂway…
HighÂly recÂomÂmendÂed: the accomÂpaÂnyÂing NPR stoÂry from Robert KrulÂwich.
Eugene Buchko is a blogÂger and phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer livÂing in Atlanta, GA. He mainÂtains a phoÂtoÂblog, EruÂdite ExpresÂsions, and writes about what he reads on his readÂing blog.
