Research interest

I have had a lifelong fascination with animals particularly insects and butterflies. Two species that have always fascinated  me are the red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) which migrate to Norway every summer. How such a small animal can achieve this remarkable journey has always intrigued me. During my master’s degree at NTNU I investigate the orientation strategies of the red admiral butterfly. Although it is a widespread and well known migratory species, its navigation mechanisms remain largely unknown. I aim to use controlled flight simulator experiments to investigate whether and how red admirals use environmental cues such as the sun, polarised light and the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate during migration.