Abstract

Overview

Many animal species, including Cataglyphis desert ants, rely on the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation. The precise brain regions where magnetic information is processed remain largely unexplored. This study manipulates the natural magnetic field at the nest entrance to investigate its effects on ant brain regions during compass calibration.

Findings

• Manipulation of the Earth's magnetic field significantly impacts neuronal plasticity in two key sensory integration centers.
• Interference with typical look-back behavior during learning walks of naive ants was observed, highlighting the impact on initial navigational learning.
• Detailed structural analyses within the neuronal compass (central complex) and memory centers (mushroom bodies) reveal how magnetic information influences neuronal development during early visual learning stages.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that magnetic information is crucial not only as a compass for navigation but also as a global reference system essential for spatial memory formation. A proposed neural circuit could integrate magnetic information into visual guidance networks within the ant’s brain, providing critical insights into the neural basis of magnetic navigation in insects.