Butterflies & Humans: Migration
Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies): The largest and most diverse family of butterflies, located within the Lepidoptera order of Insects. Distributed worldwide, this family of butterflies is highly variable in size, appearance, and behavior.
Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral Butterfly): First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 this medium-sized butterfly has black wings, red bands, and white spots. It resides in warm woodlands and has a worldwide distribution. It is notable for showing territorial displays.
Danaus plexippus (Monarch): A milkweed butterfly in the subfamily Danainae, the species is an iconic pollinator and notable for annual migrations that cover thousands of miles.
A lone butterfly circles a lush patch of flowers. Seen through the hexagonal compound eyes of a butterfly, the world is a mosaic of colors and shapes. The flowers, painted on a gentle green canvas, are all shades of blue, yellow, red, and ultraviolet hues unnamed and undetectable by the human eye.
A lone human gazes down upon a desert from a menacing tower. Scattered shrubs and cacti dot the ochre sand that is turning red in the sunset. A mountain far in the distance pierces the ablaze sky as the sun sinks into the horizon.
Neither the butterfly nor human is focusing on — or even noticing — the ephemeral beauty surrounding them. Instead, they are one the lookout for others of their species: they are diligently guarding their plot of land.
Butterflies have a limited supply of nectar and few mates, guarding a territory is a way to ensure access to both resources. Agriculture, industrialization, and global trade networks have allowed humans to produce an excess of food (although it is distributed incredibly unequally). Industrialization has also allowed workers in developed countries to become much more efficient and produce more products of value that are able to be shipped worldwide.
Economies like that of the United States are only benefited by the addition of labor. More labor equates to more production, undocumented immigrants add around two trillion to the GDP. This money directly benefits all parties involved.
V. atalanta butterflies make frequent patrols (7–30 times per hour) of their territorial boundaries. A single patrol lasts 5–30 seconds in which a butterfly will circle its territory 2–6 times. If a butterfly detects an intruder, it will rush it from beneath and chase the intruder upward in a helical pattern until the encroaching butterfly breaks away.
Photo from Bitzer and Shaw, 1979. Typical territorial interaction of V. atalanta.
Solid line: defending butterfly flightpath
Dashed line: encroaching butterfly flightpath
16,731 Border Patrol agents are stationed on the southern border of the United States. If they detect an unauthorized crossing, the individual will be detained and may be fined or imprisoned in accordance with 8 U.S.C. Section 1325, I.N.A. Section 275.
Butterflies guard their territory with aggressive displays. Humans in the United States guard their borders with 300 billion dollars worth of barbed wire, rusted metal fence, guard towers, and high caliber weaponry.
I grew up in a dying village in the Midwest. As agriculture is becoming more efficient, it is also becoming more mechanized, and jobs are drying up. My village was driven by farming, and with the demand for agricultural labor diminishing, so too is the population of the town.
People from my village are migrating to where there are economic opportunities. My cousin moved to Silicon Valley after graduating college. My sister plans on moving to New York City. I plan on moving to a large city in Europe when I graduate, perhaps Paris. In our respective cities, we will add much more value to the economy but also maintain a higher personal standard of living.
But this migration is a luxury. New York City, Silicon Valley, and Paris are all but impossible for many people to reach. People are forced to stay in villages with far fewer economic opportunities than mine, because of border restrictions. Instead of opening borders and welcoming productive citizens, developed nations spend billions of dollars to prevent migration.
The North American population of D. plexippus (Monarch) butterflies embark on an annual late-summer migration from the northeast part of the US southward. They fly over country borders, annually congregating in Michoacan, Mexico to overwinter before heading north again. They make the trip to raise their young on the milkweed abundant in the North, and take advantage of the warm summers in the south.
Monarchs migrate freely for thousands of miles to find the best place to reside. There are no borders that restrict their movement, and they thrive. Humans are following in the footsteps of the wrong butterfly. Instead of allowing humans to have the freedom to live where they please, borders ensure people are kept from their optimal location. A world with more open borders is a better world. We could take a lesson from the Monarch.
This essay was originally written for Cornell Migrations Creative Writing and Art Competition.
