Divergent migratory strategies along the East Asian insect flyway: A trade‐off between flight power and atmospheric dependence

Mass migration within the East Asian insect flyway is a globally significant ecological phenomenon, yet how insects with different flight capabilities utilize divergent strategies to exploit the same wind system remains a critical puzzle. We hypothesize that these strategies arise from a fundamental trade‐off between active trajectory control and strategic atmospheric exploitation. To test this, we integrated long‐term (11‐year) field observations with atmospheric trajectory modeling to quantitatively assess the migratory performance of two species with disparate flight capacities: the oriental armyworm moth ( Mythimna separata ), a relatively powerful flier, and the brown planthopper ( Nilaparvata lugens ), a weak flier. Our simulations reveal that the strong‐flying M. separata , which initiates its northward migration from mid‐May, actively influences its trajectory, leveraging its self‐powered flight to overcome slower, less directionally stable winds. In contrast, the weaker‐flying N. lugens , which migrates about a month later, synchronizes its migration with a period of faster, more stable wind currents, allowing it to compensate for its limited flight power. These findings provide a mechanistic demonstration of how a trade‐off between self‐propelled power and atmospheric selectivity shapes migratory success. Ultimately, this study establishes that flight capacity is a key determinant of how migratory insects interact with their atmospheric environment, which in turn impacts their contrasting life histories within a shared flyway.