Data from: Individual tracking reveals long-distance flightpath control in a nocturnally-migrating moth

Menz MHM, Scacco M, Bürki-Spycher H, Williams HJ, Reynolds DR, Chapman JW, Wikelski M. 2022. Data from: Individual tracking reveals long-distance flightpath control in a nocturnally-migrating moth. Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.f4r24r5r

Abstract

Each year, trillions of insects make long-range seasonal migrations. These movements are relatively well understood at a population level, but how individual insects achieve them remains elusive. Behavioral responses to conditions en route are little studied, primarily owing to the challenges of tracking individual insects. Using a light aircraft and individual radio tracking, we show that nocturnally migrating death’s-head hawkmoths maintain control of their flight trajectories over long distances. The moths did not just fly with favorable tailwinds; during a given night, they also adjusted for head and crosswinds to precisely hold course. This behavior indicates that the moths use a sophisticated internal compass to maintain seasonally beneficial migratory trajectories independent of wind conditions, illuminating how insects traverse long distances to take advantage of seasonal resources.

Keywords

Acherontia atropos,animal movement,animal tracking,Acherontia atropos,Acherontiini,death’s-head hawkmoth,invertebrates,radio telemetry

Taxa

Taxon

Acherontia atropos

African death's head hawkmoth, death's head hawkmoth

DOIs of related Publications

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn1663

URI

https://datarepository.movebank.org/handle/10255/move.1508

BibTex

@misc{001/1_f4r24r5r,
  title = {Data from: Individual tracking reveals long-distance flightpath control in a nocturnally-migrating moth},
  author = {Menz, MHM and Scacco, M and Bürki-Spycher, H and Williams, HJ and Reynolds, DR and Chapman, JW and Wikelski, M},
  year = {2022},
  URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.f4r24r5r},
  doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.f4r24r5r},
  publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
ID  - doi:10.5441/001/1.f4r24r5r
T1  - Data from: Individual tracking reveals long-distance flightpath control in a nocturnally-migrating moth
AU  - Menz, Myles H.M.
AU  - Scacco, Martina
AU  - Bürki-Spycher, Hans-Martin
AU  - Williams, Hannah J.
AU  - Reynolds, Don R.
AU  - Chapman, Jason W.
AU  - Wikelski, Martin
Y1  - 2022/08/13
KW  - Acherontia atropos
KW  - animal migration
KW  - animal movement
KW  - animal tracking
KW  - Acherontia atropos
KW  - Acherontiini
KW  - death’s-head hawkmoth
KW  - invertebrates
KW  - radio telemetry
KW  - Acherontia atropos
PB  - Movebank data repository
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.f4r24r5r
DO  - doi:10.5441/001/1.f4r24r5r
ER  -

Collections

Data packages

Full item page