Title
Sensory basis of lepidopteran migration: focus on the monarch butterfly
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology; Reppert Lab
Publication Date
2015-10-01
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
In response to seasonal habitats, migratory lepidopterans, exemplified by the monarch butterfly, have evolved migration to deal with dynamic conditions. During migration, monarchs use orientation mechanisms, exploiting a time-compensated sun compass and a light-sensitive inclination magnetic compass to facilitate fall migration south. The sun compass is bidirectional with overwintering coldness triggering the change in orientation direction for remigration northward in the spring. The timing of the remigration and milkweed emergence in the southern US have co-evolved for propagation of the migration. Current research is uncovering the anatomical and molecular substrates that underlie migratory-relevant sensory mechanisms with the antennae being critical components. Orientation mechanisms may be detrimentally affected by environmental factors such as climate change and sensory interference from human-generated sources.
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.conb.2015.01.009
Source
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2015 Oct;34:20-8. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.01.009. Epub 2015 Jan 25. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Current opinion in neurobiology
Related Resources
PubMed ID
25625216
Repository Citation
Guerra PA, Reppert SM. (2015). Sensory basis of lepidopteran migration: focus on the monarch butterfly. Neurobiology Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2015.01.009. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/neurobiology_pp/161