Removal or component reversal of local geomagnetic field affects foraging orientation preference in migratory insect brown planthopper .

BACKGROUND

Migratory brown planthopper () annually migrates to Northeast Asia in spring and returns to Southeast Asia in autumn. However, mechanisms for orientation and navigation during their flight remain largely unknown. The geomagnetic field (GMF) is an important source of directional information for animals (including ), yet the magnetic compass involved has not been fully identified.

METHODS

Here we assessed the influences of GMF on the foraging orientation preference of by removing or component reversal of local GMF. At the same time, we examined the role of iron-sulfur cluster assembly1 (IscA1), a putative component of magnetoreceptor, in the foraging orientation preference of under the controlled magnetic fields by RNA silencing (RNAi).

RESULTS

We found that the near-zero magnetic field (NZMF) or vertical reversal of GMF could lead to losing the foraging orientation preference, suggesting that a normal level of GMF, in the way of either intensity or inclination, was essential for the foraging orientation of . Moreover, the gene knockdown of IscA1, also affected the foraging orientation preference of , pointing out a potential role of IscA1 in the insects' sensing of variation in the GMF.

DISCUSSION

These results suggested a foraging orientation preference is associated with the GMF and revealed new insights into the relationship between the IscA1 and magnetosensitivity mechanism in .