Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Do neotropical migrant butterflies navigate using a solar compass?

Oliveira1, Srygley, Dudley

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712-1064, USA, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 2072, Balboa, Republic of Panama. evandro.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|November 18, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Tropical migrating butterflies use a sun compass for navigation. Clock-shift experiments confirm this time-compensated celestial navigation mechanism in Aphrissa statira and Phoebis argante.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic.

The Hospital·2018
Same author

Tinnitus in Hereditary Menière's Syndrome.

The international tinnitus journal·2001
Same author

Fatal pulmonary embolism in hospitalized patients. Clinical diagnosis versus pathological confirmation.

Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia·2001
Same author

Total agenesis of the left pericardium.

Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia·2001
Same author

Prevalence of Serologic Markers of HBV and HCV Infection in HIV-1 Seropositive Patients in Florianópolis, Brazil.

The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases : an official publication of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases·2000
Same author

Alignment and phase transition induced by surface action in lyotropic nematic liquid crystals

Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics·2000

Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Navigation

Background:

  • Many tropical butterfly species exhibit migratory behavior.
  • The physiological mechanisms underlying their orientation, particularly the use of a time-compensated sun compass, remain largely unknown.
  • Previous research suggests a sun compass is crucial for long-distance insect migration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the role of a time-compensated sun compass in the migratory orientation of tropical butterflies.
  • To test the hypothesis that butterflies use celestial cues for navigation.

Main Methods:

  • Clock-shift experiments were conducted on two species of migrating butterflies (Aphrissa statira and Phoebis argante) in Panama.
  • Butterflies were subjected to a 4-hour advance in their light-dark cycle to disrupt their internal clock.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Orientations of experimental and control groups were recorded upon release to assess navigational strategies.

    • Main Results:

    • Natural control butterflies maintained a constant flight bearing, indicating time-compensated celestial navigation capabilities.
    • Butterflies in the clock-shift experiment showed significantly different mean orientations compared to controls, supporting the use of a sun compass.
    • The observed directional shift was consistent with sun compass use, though the magnitude differed from predictions, potentially due to wind and handling effects.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides experimental evidence that migrating tropical butterflies utilize a sun compass for orientation.
    • These findings elucidate the physiological mechanisms of insect navigation.
    • The results contribute to understanding the complex behaviors of migratory insects.