Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)
We tested whether migrating Aphrissa statira butterflies orient with a magnetic compass. We captured migrants flying over Lake Gatun, Panama, and exposed experimental butterflies to a strong magnetic field. These and unmanipulated control butterflies were released back over the lake. Experimental bu...
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ftunivrosario:oai:repository.urosario.edu.co:10336/26303 2023-05-15T18:22:58+02:00 Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Evidencia experimental de un sentido magnético en mariposas migratorias neotropicales (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Srygley, Robert Dudley, Robert Oliveira, Evandro Riveros , Andre J. 2006-01 application/pdf https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/26303 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.013 eng eng Elsevier ISSN: 0003-3472 EISSN: 1095-8282 https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/26303 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.013 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess instname:Universidad del Rosario Aphrissa statira Magnetic compass info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2006 ftunivrosario https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.013 2022-08-01T07:11:36Z We tested whether migrating Aphrissa statira butterflies orient with a magnetic compass. We captured migrants flying over Lake Gatun, Panama, and exposed experimental butterflies to a strong magnetic field. These and unmanipulated control butterflies were released back over the lake. Experimental butterflies had a more dispersed pattern of orientation than control butterflies. The average direction adopted was northeast, 160° anticlockwise to the natural migratory direction. Unmanipulated control butterflies adopted two diametrically opposed orientations: one shifted 33° clockwise, and another 147° anticlockwise, to the migratory direction. Control and experimental butterflies differed in that some controls oriented towards the migratory direction. These differences in orientation support the hypothesis of a sense for magnetic orientation cues. Unmanipulated butterflies released over the lake when the sky was completely overcast were significantly oriented towards their direction before capture (187° and 203°, respectively), further supporting the magnetic compass hypothesis. In a third experiment, we obstructed sun compass cues and reversed the horizontal component of the local geomagnetic field to position magnetic north towards the geographical south pole within a flight arena into which we released individual butterflies. Experimental butterflies experiencing the reversed magnetic field oriented on average 180° opposite to their natural migratory direction. Control butterflies, for which the position of magnetic north was unaltered, were oriented both towards and 180° opposite to the natural migratory direction. This difference between orientations of control and experimental butterflies also supports the hypothesis of a sense for magnetic orientation cues. Article in Journal/Newspaper South pole Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá: E-docUR South Pole Animal Behaviour 71 1 183 191 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá: E-docUR |
op_collection_id |
ftunivrosario |
language |
English |
topic |
Aphrissa statira Magnetic compass |
spellingShingle |
Aphrissa statira Magnetic compass Srygley, Robert Dudley, Robert Oliveira, Evandro Riveros , Andre J. Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) |
topic_facet |
Aphrissa statira Magnetic compass |
description |
We tested whether migrating Aphrissa statira butterflies orient with a magnetic compass. We captured migrants flying over Lake Gatun, Panama, and exposed experimental butterflies to a strong magnetic field. These and unmanipulated control butterflies were released back over the lake. Experimental butterflies had a more dispersed pattern of orientation than control butterflies. The average direction adopted was northeast, 160° anticlockwise to the natural migratory direction. Unmanipulated control butterflies adopted two diametrically opposed orientations: one shifted 33° clockwise, and another 147° anticlockwise, to the migratory direction. Control and experimental butterflies differed in that some controls oriented towards the migratory direction. These differences in orientation support the hypothesis of a sense for magnetic orientation cues. Unmanipulated butterflies released over the lake when the sky was completely overcast were significantly oriented towards their direction before capture (187° and 203°, respectively), further supporting the magnetic compass hypothesis. In a third experiment, we obstructed sun compass cues and reversed the horizontal component of the local geomagnetic field to position magnetic north towards the geographical south pole within a flight arena into which we released individual butterflies. Experimental butterflies experiencing the reversed magnetic field oriented on average 180° opposite to their natural migratory direction. Control butterflies, for which the position of magnetic north was unaltered, were oriented both towards and 180° opposite to the natural migratory direction. This difference between orientations of control and experimental butterflies also supports the hypothesis of a sense for magnetic orientation cues. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Srygley, Robert Dudley, Robert Oliveira, Evandro Riveros , Andre J. |
author_facet |
Srygley, Robert Dudley, Robert Oliveira, Evandro Riveros , Andre J. |
author_sort |
Srygley, Robert |
title |
Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) |
title_short |
Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) |
title_full |
Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) |
title_fullStr |
Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in Neotropical migrating butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) |
title_sort |
experimental evidence for a magnetic sense in neotropical migrating butterflies (lepidoptera: pieridae) |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/26303 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.013 |
geographic |
South Pole |
geographic_facet |
South Pole |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_source |
instname:Universidad del Rosario |
op_relation |
ISSN: 0003-3472 EISSN: 1095-8282 https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/26303 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.013 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2005.04.013 |
container_title |
Animal Behaviour |
container_volume |
71 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
183 |
op_container_end_page |
191 |
_version_ |
1766202378799808512 |