Bees of many species contain tiny magnetic particles – suggesting they may have an innate magnetic compass for navigation

Scientists don't know how insects use a magnetic sense to navigate. Laura Russo A surprisingly large number and diversity of bee species – 74 out of 96 tested – have magnetic properties, according to research my colleagues and I recently published in the journal Science Advances. Some animals are able to use iron-based magnetic compounds such as magnetite to detect and navigate via the Earth’s magnetic field – a sense called magnetoreception. We considered magnetism in the insects we tested to…