WILDLIFE: Light shed on butterfly problem
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A butterfly that uses the sun to navigate and tell the time ends up lost if kept in the dark for too long, scientists have shown.
Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, use a sun compass when flying the 4,000-km journey from their autumn breeding grounds in the eastern United States south to Mexico.
Sandra Perez, of the department of evolutionary biology at Arizona University, tested the monarch's navigational system by comparing the movements of some naturally migrating butterflies with another group that had been kept in the dark.
Deprived of the sun, the second group's internal clock was shifted. When released, this caused them to misinterpret the position of the sun and set their navigational compass incorrectly.
The clock-shifted butterflies flew on a west-northwest course, 75 degrees away from the south-southwest direction taken by the first.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments