Dmitry Kishkinev (@dmitrykishkinev) Bsky

The Role of Magnetic and Celestial Cues in Orientation and Navigation of Red Underwing (Catocala nupta), a European Migratory Moth Nocturnal migration is a remarkable phenomenon observed in many insect species, including moths. Migratory moths are capable of maintaining precise directional orientation during migration, as demonstrated in both laboratory and field studies, suggesting that they use multiple environmental cues for orientation and navigation. Recent studies on Australian Bogong moths revealed that these animals can use stellar cues and likely the geomagnetic field (in conjunction with local visual cues) to select and maintain population-specific migratory direction. However, the underlying orientation mechanisms used by most other migratory moths are still largely unresolved. Further, it remains unclear whether migratory moths can adjust their orientation using geomagnetic field parameters for determining their position relative to the goal (i.e. location or map information) - an ability clearly shown in some migratory birds which respond to virtual magnetic displacements by correcting their orientation (experiments when animals are exposed to magnetic cues corresponding to other geographic locations). Here, we present results from virtual magnetic displacement experiments conducted on red underwings ( Catocala nupta ). In addition, we tested their orientation under simulated overcast conditions and in a vertical magnetic field to get indications whether this species relies on geomagnetic or celestial cues to maintain its population-specific migratory direction. Our results show that (1) red underwings did not compensate for virtual magnetic displacement, indicating the absence of a magnetic map; (2) they remained significantly oriented in the absence of geomagnetic information, suggesting the use of a stellar compass; and (3) there was no evidence of magnetic compass orientation in absence of any visual cues. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. UK Research and Innovation, https://ror.org/001aqnf71, EP/Y036239/1 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, https://ror.org/018mejw64, SFB 1372, grant no. 395940726 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, https://ror.org/018mejw64, EXC 3051, grant no. 533653176

Excited to share that our new results on magnetic and star compass and magnetic navigation in migratory Red Underwing moths is pre-printed here doi.org/10.64898/202...

1 month ago 0 0 0 0

Take three minutes to look at pretty birds, explore radar data, and see how we connect the structure of skies to MacArthur's ideas of niche partitioning. 📡🐦☁️🎧

5 months ago 33 17 1 4

🕊️ How do birds know when to migrate?
Our new Biology Open paper shows that spring migration timing in great reed warblers has a genetic component—linked to fat metabolism genes suggesting that birds that fuel up faster may be ready to leave Africa sooner. More journals.biologists.com/bio/article/...

6 months ago 2 0 0 0

Ecology of Animal Migration Lund University.

An international course for postgraduate students
Nov 2025 will run again in Lund University. Will cover theoretical and practical aspects of animal migration research, locomotion, orientation and navigation, tracking and ecophysiology www.biology.lu.se/phd-studies/...

10 months ago 0 0 0 0

Bogong moths use a stellar compass for long-distance navigation at night - Nature Every spring, Bogong moths use the starry night sky as a compass to navigate up to 1,000 km towards their alpine migratory goal.

A study published in Nature showing that Australian Bogong moths possess a star compass based on Milky Way doi.org/10.1038/s415...

10 months ago 0 0 0 1

Not All Butterflies Are Monarchs: Compass Systems in the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), a European Diurnal Migrant Seasonal migration in animals is a widespread and complex phenomenon, yet the mechanisms underlying orientation and navigation remain poorly understood in many taxa. While significant progress has bee...

Our recent exciting results about Red Admirals' compasses - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

11 months ago 1 0 0 0

Out in @animalecology.bsky.social and open access, this beauty showing that older common terns navigate more efficiently than younger ones and that efficient navigation leads to a reduced migration duration and earlier arrival at the breeding and wintering grounds: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

1 year ago 68 28 1 1

Screenshot of the paper front page.

Now this is exciting.

Antonin and his team have just published a study showing that the number of migrating hoverflies through Czechia are positively correlated with the numbers of birds!
Suggests that the birds are using the flies as fuel on migration.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10....

1 year ago 128 47 2 8

Happy to join BlueSky - follow me who followed my personal and/or Anim_Navigation X/Twitter account!

1 year ago 1 0 0 0

Posts by Dmitry Kishkinev