Magnetoreception in migratory insects: the magnetic compass and the magnetic map in European migratory Lepidoptera

研究表明，动物可以感知地球磁场（EMF），并利用它进行迁徙和导航。然而，磁感的潜在机制仍然知之甚少。虽然已有证据间接支持几种可能的机制，但初级磁感觉细胞（磁感受器）及其超细胞结构、感知原理和功能特征仍然难以捉摸。鸟类是该地区研究最多的模型，但由于维护成本高、寻找大样本的复杂性、进行基因编辑和侵入性干预，鸟类很难找到磁感受器。更简单的迁徙生物，例如昆虫，可能是很好的模型，因为它们的中枢神经系统不那么复杂，有机会在实验室繁殖，创造基因敲除动物，并在小型装置中进行行为实验。最近在北美和澳大利亚的迁徙鳞翅目（蝴蝶和飞蛾）中发现了利用磁感寻找方向的能力，但从未在欧洲物种中发现过。迁徙的鳞翅目是否能利用电磁场进行导航（定位）也尚不清楚。该项目的目的是：更好地了解欧洲迁徙的蝴蝶是如何利用电磁场进行定位和导航的。目的1：研究红海军上将（Vanessa atlanta）是否具有通过电磁场发现迁徙方向的能力。目的2：测试夜间迁徙飞蛾红翼下（Catocala nupta）是否可以使用EMF进行导航。该项目将通过在欧洲（奥地利和东波罗的海）的两个已建立的实地地点捕获和测试这两个物种的迁徙个体进行非侵入性行为实验。对磁场变化的行为反应将通过飞行模拟器进行测试，飞行模拟器是一种测试昆虫在受控制的导航线索（太阳、星星和EMF）的情况下，拴在动物身上的昆虫的迁徙方向的装置。

Studies demonstrated that animals can perceive the Earth's magnetic field (EMF) and use it for migration and navigation. Yet, the magnetic sense's underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Although there exists evidence indirectly supporting several potential mechanisms, the primary magnetosensory cells (magnetoreceptors), their ultracellular structure, perceptive principle, and functional characteristics remain elusive. Birds are the most studied models in the area but they are difficult for finding magnetoreceptors due to high maintenance costs, the complexity of sourcing large samples, doing genetic editing and invasive interventions. Simpler migratory organisms, e.g., insects, might be good models due to their less complicated central nervous system, an opportunity to breed in a laboratory, create knockout animals and perform behavioural experiments in small setups. The ability to use magnetic sense for finding direction has been recently shown in North American and Australian migratory Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) but never in European species. It also remains unknown whether migratory Lepidoptera can use EMF for navigation (position finding). The project's aim: to better understand how European migratory butterflies use EMF for orientation and navigation. Objective 1: to examine whether Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), a diurnal migrant, possesses an ability to find migratory direction by EMF. Objective 2: to test whether Red Underwing (Catocala nupta), a nocturnal migratory moth, can use EMF for navigation. The project will be delivered through non-invasive behavioural experiments using migratory individuals of both species captured and tested at 2 established field sites in Europe (Austria and East Baltic). Behavioural responses to a changed magnetic field will be tested with Flight Simulator, a setup testing insect's migratory orientation of a tethered animals while it is exposed to controlled navigational cues (sun, stars and EMF).