The globe skimmer, Pantala flavescens, found on almost every continent, makes the longest migration known for any insect. Riding monsoon winds, it crosses the Indian Ocean between India and East Africa. The full circuit of 14,000 to 18,000 km takes about four successive generations. Not bad for an insect less than 5 centimeters long.
In 2022, a young tagged bar-tailed godwit flew from Alaska to Tasmania in about 11 days of nonstop flight, covering 13,560 km without eating, drinking or landing. Before departure, these birds pile on huge fat reserves and shrink their digestive organs, which are useless during the journey.
To escape rivals, a dung beetle rolls its ball of dung in a straight line. At night, it holds its course using the glowing band of the Milky Way. In a planetarium, researchers showed that beetles rolled straight under a starry sky but wandered aimlessly when the galaxy was switched off. It was the first animal known to navigate this way.