Silver Υ Autographa gamma

That unmistakable silvery marking on the forewing is shaped exactly like the Greek letter gamma (γ) — which is literally how this moth got its name. It's one of Europe's great insect migrants, traveling thousands of kilometers from North Africa and the Mediterranean all the way to the UK and Scandinavia each summer. Scientists tracking these movements found that the moths actively seek out favorable high-altitude tailwinds, using them as an aerial highway to cover up to 400 miles in a single night.

Millions arrive each year, and because the caterpillars will eat almost any green plant, large migrations can seriously affect crops. Tiny traveler, big consequences.