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

研究表明，动物可以感知地球的磁场（EMF），并利用它进行迁移和导航。然而，磁感觉的基本机制仍然知之甚少。虽然有证据间接支持几个潜在的机制，初级磁感觉细胞（磁感受器），其超细胞结构，感知原理和功能特性仍然是难以捉摸的。鸟类是该地区研究最多的模型，但由于维护成本高、获取大样本的复杂性、进行基因编辑和侵入性干预，它们很难找到磁感受器。简单的迁移生物，例如，昆虫可能是很好的模型，因为它们的中枢神经系统不太复杂，有机会在实验室中繁殖，创造淘汰动物，并在小环境中进行行为实验。最近在北美和澳大利亚的迁徙性鳞翅目（蝴蝶和蛾）中发现了利用磁感应寻找方向的能力，但从未在欧洲物种中发现过。迁徙的鳞翅目昆虫是否可以利用电磁场进行导航（定位）也是未知的。该项目的目的是：更好地了解欧洲迁徙蝴蝶如何利用电磁场进行定位和导航。目的一：探讨红海军上将（Vanessa atalanta）是否具有利用电磁场寻找迁徙方向的能力。目的二：测试红翅夜蛾（Catocala nupta）能否利用电磁场进行导航。该项目将通过非侵入性行为实验来实施，使用在欧洲两个已建立的实地地点（奥地利和波罗的海东部）捕获和测试的两个物种的迁徙个体。对变化的磁场的行为反应将用飞行模拟器进行测试，这是一种测试昆虫在暴露于受控导航线索（太阳，星星和EMF）时对系留动物的迁移方向的设置。

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).