It is well known that bees help the environment by pollinating flowers. But bees are not the only insects that are pollinators. The Journal of the Royal Society published a study in July focused on butterflies and moths. 

These flying insects produce static electricity while in flight, which makes it easier for the insects to travel to flowers and make the pollination process faster. 

According to Dr. Sam England of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences, “We already knew that many species of animal accumulate static electricity as they fly, most likely through friction with the air. There had also been suggestions that this static electricity might improve the ability of flower-visiting animals, like bees and hummingbirds, to pollinate, by attracting pollen using electrostatic attraction.” 

Looking ahead, scientists would like to expand their research to additional animal species, to compare their results to those of butterflies and moths, and possibly turn this research into practical application.