Stargazing Moths Navigate with the Stars

casualSTEM delivers brief and informative summaries of the latest science news every Saturday. Full of jokes, silly polls, and a cartoon!

Starry Moth

Stargazing moths use celestial bodies as a GPS. Researchers built an artificial sky to study the moth’s mapping skills.

• Cartographer: Australian bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) 

• Maintained consistent headings only under actual stellar conditions

• Shifted flight to match changes to the artificial sky

The artificial sky blocked magnetic fields and UV light to rule out other navigation forms. These findings raise concerns about how light pollution could affect migration patterns. And lower how many wishes I can make a night.

Like a moth to a star

Catch-up on science in sweatpants