Abstract

A rapidly growing body of work indicates that neuronal networks are modulated in a context-dependent manner. This means, for example, that the visual environment that surrounds an orienting animal should also influence the function of its compass. In insects, sky compass signals are relayed via several intermediate structures to the central complex; a brain area that acts as an internal compass for orientation. This area of the brain also plays a role for walking, memory and other integrative processes. How this multimodal role is managed at the cellular level is not known, but what we do know, is that a given neuron in this part of the brain responds differently depending on the animal’s behavioural state or available compass input. It can be concluded that to truly understand how a celestial compass works, we benefit from studies it in unconstrained animals that orient in their natural environment. Dung beetles orient in some of the most visually challenging habitats on earth: including dark nights, forests, and cities. In addition, they exhibit a singular and extremely robust orientation behaviour. A beetle’s drive to roll its dung ball along a single bearing is so strong that it can be evoked at any time of day in any setting. In this talk, I will present unexpected findings on the function of the insect compass, driven primarily by observations in the field.