In a world-first discovery, scientists have revealed that Australia’s Bogong moth uses constellations – including the Milky Way – to navigate across vast distances, making it the first known invertebrate to rely on a stellar compass for long-distance migration. bogong moths milky way
The landmark study, published today (19 June) in Nature, brings together an international team of scientists, including Indian-origin researcher Professor Javaan Chahl from the University of South Australia. Prof Chahl had previously made headlines for demonstrating that dung beetles navigate by starlight – a discovery that inspired robotic vision systems.
“This new study on Bogong moths builds directly on what we learned from beetles,” Prof Chahl says. “It’s another example of nature’s extraordinary problem-solving, and how insects with tiny brains are capable of deeply complex navigation.”
Led by Lund University and supported by the Australian National University and UniSA, the research reveals that the Bogong moth combines celestial navigation with Earth’s magnetic field to reach the same alpine caves in the Snowy Mountains – places it has never been before – to hibernate for summer.
“Bogong moths are incredibly precise,” says lead author Professor Eric Warrant. “They adjust their bearings based on star patterns, the season, and time of night – just like migratory birds, but on a much smaller scale.”
Two compasses, one goal
Each spring, billions of Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) emerge from breeding grounds across southeastern Australia and fly up to 1000 kilometres to dark alpine caves. There they lie dormant through summer, returning in autumn to breed and die.
Using flight simulators in magnetically neutral environments, the research team tested how the moths respond to different skies. When starry skies were shown, the moths oriented themselves correctly. But when the stars were scrambled or rotated 180 degrees, the moths lost their way or reversed direction – proving that they read constellations, not just follow light.
bogong moths milky way
When stars were hidden behind clouds, the moths switched to using Earth’s magnetic field, showcasing a remarkable dual-compass system.
Brain scans revealed specialised neurons that fired most strongly when the moths faced their correct migratory direction, encoding celestial information in ways previously undocumented in insects.
From beetles to bots
“The fact that both beetles and moths can use the stars shows how evolution has refined navigation across species,” says Prof Chahl. “And it opens new doors in robotics, sensing technology, and even conservation.”
A moth in peril
Despite their navigational brilliance, Bogong moth numbers have plummeted in recent years, leading to their listing as a vulnerable species. Light pollution and climate change are among the threats disrupting their ancient migratory patterns.
“The night sky has guided human explorers for millennia,” says Prof Warrant. “Now we know it guides moths too. But for that to continue, we must protect the skies they depend on.” bogong moths milky way
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