Scientists have worked out how dung beetles use the Milky Way to hold their course
Friday, April 21, 2017 - 08:32
in Astronomy & Space
Insects navigate in much the same way that ancient humans did: using the sky. Their primary cue is the position of the sun, but insects can also detect properties of skylight (the blue light scattered by the upper atmosphere) that give them indirect information about the sun's position. Skylight cues include gradients in brightness and colour across the sky and the way light is polarised by the atmosphere. Together, these sky "compass cues" allow many insect species to hold a stable course.