Sense
Magnetoception (or magnetoreception) is the ability to detect the direction one is facing based on the Earth's magnetic field. Directional awareness is most commonly observed in birds, which rely on their magnetic sense to navigate during migration. It has also been observed in insects such as bees. Cattle make use of magnetoception to align themselves in a north-south direction. Magnetotactic bacteria build miniature magnets inside themselves and use them to determine their orientation relative to the Earth's magnetic field.
Lepidoptera migration
Earth's magnetic field: A number of moths use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate, as a study of the stray heart and dart suggests. Another study, this time of the migratory behaviour of the silver Y, showed that this species, even at high altitudes, can correct its course with changing winds, and prefers flying with favourable winds, which suggests a great sense of direction. A study in Panama of "Aphrissa statira," which migrate in large groups annually, found that this species loses its navigational capacity when exposed to a magnetic field, suggesting they use the Earth's magnetic field to determine their direction of flight in migration.