A magnetic compass aids monarch butterfly migration

Patrick A Guerra, Robert J Gegear and Steven M Reppert ()
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Patrick A Guerra: University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street
Robert J Gegear: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Gateway Park, 60 Prescott Street
Steven M Reppert: University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Convincing evidence that migrant monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) use a magnetic compass to aid their fall migration has been lacking from the spectacular navigational capabilities of this species. Here we use flight simulator studies to show that migrants indeed possess an inclination magnetic compass to help direct their flight equatorward in the fall. The use of this inclination compass is light-dependent utilizing ultraviolet-A/blue light between 380 and 420 nm. Notably, the significance of light

Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5164

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5164

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