Dec. 5, 2011

Monarch butterflys use a time-compensated sun compass for directional information for long distance migration. The compass involves the eye’s sensing of skylight cues for direction and brain skylight-stimulated neural responses in the presumed compass site-the central complex. Brain Sun compass is time compensated by the circadian clock that allows flight direction to be constantly adjusted to maintain a southerly flight direction. The genome of butterfly is just completed and specific expansion of chemoreceptors was found and may relate to Sun compass directed long distance migration—–Cell