A study of migratory hoverflies on a North Sea oil rig has revealed their vital role as long-distance pollen transporters.
A study of migratory hoverflies on a North Sea oil rig has revealed their vital role as long-distance pollen transporters.
Researchers studied 121 marmalade hoverflies that landed on an oil rig in the Britannia oil field, 200km off the coast of Scotland.
Pollen was found on 92% of the hoverflies and – with no vegetation on the rig, and no land nearby – this shows they can transport pollen over great distances, potentially linking plant populations that are hundreds of kilometres apart.
Read more at: University of Exeter
A marmalade hoverfly on the oil rig. (Photo Credit: Craig Hannah)
