By watching dung beetles roll their balls of dung at night, an international team of researchers has turned up evidence that the insect aligns its path by detecting the polarization of moonlight.
ROLL ON. A South African dung beetle positioned to roll away its treasure. Inset: Diagram shows a beetle’s path when scientists cover it in midcourse (at black spot) with a filter that shifts moonlight’s polarization.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.
