Do monarch butterflies use polarized skylight for migratory orientation?
Do monarch butterflies use polarized skylight for migratory orientation?
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DOI：
10.1242/jeb.01613
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发表时间：
2005-06-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Mouritsen, H
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Stalleicken, J;Mukhida, M;Mouritsen, H
为了测试迁徙的帝王蝶是否使用偏振光图案作为其时间补偿太阳罗盘的一部分，我们在飞行模拟器中记录了它们的虚拟飞行路径，同时这些蝴蝶暴露在一片片自然偏振的蓝天、人造偏振器或阳光明媚的天空中。此外，我们测试了在复眼偏振光探测器被遮挡和不被遮挡的情况下的蝴蝶。帝王蝶的方位反应表明，蝴蝶没有使用偏振光图案作为指南针信号，也没有表现出对偏振光轴线的特定对准反应。当直视太阳时，偏振光探测器被涂上油漆的迁徙帝王仍然能够使用时间补偿的指南针：没有顺时针偏移的蝴蝶，它们的背缘区域被遮挡，朝向典型的西南偏南迁徙方向。此外，在顺时针移动6小时后，它们将飞行路线顺时针改变了类似于90度的预测。我们得出结论，在迁徙的帝王蝶中，偏振光信号不是时间补偿天罗盘工作所必需的，太阳圆盘的方位位置和/或相关的光强和光谱梯度似乎是候鸟的主要指南针线索。
To test if migratory monarch butterflies use polarized light patterns as part of their time-compensated sun compass, we recorded their virtual flight paths in a flight simulator while the butterflies were exposed to patches of naturally polarized blue sky, artificial polarizers or a sunny sky. In addition, we tested butterflies with and without the polarized light detectors of their compound eye being occluded. The monarchs' orientation responses suggested that the butterflies did not use the polarized light patterns as a compass cue, nor did they exhibit a specific alignment response towards the axis of polarized light. When given direct view of the sun, migratory monarchs with their polarized light detectors painted out were still able to use their time-compensated compass: non-clockshifted butterflies, with their dorsal rim area occluded, oriented in their typical south-southwesterly migratory direction. Furthermore, they shifted their flight course clockwise by the predicted similar to 90 degrees after being advance clockshifted 6 h. We conclude that in migratory monarch butterflies, polarized light cues are not necessary for a time-compensated celestial compass to work and that the azimuthal position of the sun disc and/or the associated light-intensity and spectral gradients seem to be the migrants' major compass cue.