Magnetic compass orientation by larval Drosophila melanogaster

We report evidence for magnetic compass orientation by larval Drosophila melanogaster. Groups of larvae were exposed from the time of hatching to directional ultraviolet (365 nm) light emanating from one of four magnetic directions. Larvae were then tested individually on a circular agar plate under diffuse light in one of four magnetic field alignments. The larvae exhibited magnetic compass orientation in a direction opposite that of the light source in training. Evidence for a well-developed magnetic compass in a larval insect that moves over distances of at most a few tens of centimeters has important implications for understanding the adaptive significance of orientation mechanisms like the magnetic compass. Moreover, the development of an assay for studying magnetic compass orientation in larval D. melanogaster will make it possible to use a wide range of molecular genetic techniques to investigate the neurophysiological, biophysical, and molecular mechanisms underlying the magnetic compass.