Overview

• Bogong moths migrate up to 1,000 kilometers from southeastern Australia to the Australian Alps each spring and return in autumn.
• Isolated trials showed moths navigated correctly using only celestial cues or only magnetic input, but projections of scrambled star patterns caused complete disorientation.
• Neural recordings revealed specialized neurons in navigation-related brain regions that fire in response to shifts in star patterns, providing first neurological evidence of celestial navigation in an insect.
• The Nature paper marks the first confirmed instance of an invertebrate using stars for directed long-distance migration.
• With Bogong moth populations listed as vulnerable, researchers say protecting migratory pathways and preserving dark night skies may be crucial for their conservation.