Testing migratory Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa) in orientation experiments using an artificial representation of the Milky Way

Sammanfattning: The Bogong Moth, Agrotis Infusa, is a migratory moth native to South-Eastern Australia. These nocturnal insects migrate over more than 1000 km from their breeding grounds to caves in the Australian alps. To find their way during this migration, individuals of the species use several compass cues, both magnetic and celestial. This study aimed to investigate the ability of the moth to navigate after an artificial Milky Way made up of an LED strip. The LED was programmed to give light in different conditions, with two sides and three different widths of lights and was placed on a dome on top of a Mouritsen-Frost flight simulator. The end results did not show a significant directedness, but indicated a preference for the moths to fly away from the light. However, further experiments are needed to confirm this. This study and its methods provide a base for further research.