Collective orientation in night-flying insects

Abstract

SEVERAL investigations have been made using microwave radar techniques to study individual insects in free flight^1–5. One of the most surprising claims to result from these studies is that insects flying at night sometimes adopt a common orientation, usually downwind^1,2,4. This would imply a remarkable ability to determine wind direction when flying in conditions of severely limited visibility¹. We report here an instance of collective insect orientation in nocturnal flight, although in this case, the direction of flight was against the wind.