Step outside on a clear day this summer and look up.

What do you see? Blue. Nothing more. Or so you think.

But surprise! In July and August, an enormous herd of animals is passing directly over our heads. There are so many creatures up there, creatures that are so busy, so athletic, so tiny, so invisible. I’m talking about three to six billion of them every month soaring through the air directly above us. You should meet them. They are insects. High-flying insects. When I read about them in a science paper five years ago (I was at NPR at the time), I made this video, which provides a short introduction:

And now for the update.

It turns out, as you