Millions of dragonflies arrive in Maldives every October

MALE: Every October, something extraordinary happens in the Maldives. Millions of dragonflies begin appearing across the islands, even though there is hardly any freshwater for them to breed in.

Scientists believe many of these tiny travellers arrive from India, crossing hundreds of kilometres of open sea. Some may even continue their journey towards Africa.

The globe skimmer dragonfly (Pantala flavescens), also called the wandering glider, measures barely five centimetres and weighs around 300 milligrams. That’s less than a gram!Yet this tiny insect may undertake one of the most remarkable journeys in the animal world, travelling thousands of kilometres with help from something familiar to all of us in India: the monsoon.