Artificial light at night inhibits mating in a Geometrid moth. Issue 3 (12th February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van Geffen, Koert G.; van Eck, Emiel; de Boer, Rens A.; van Grunsven, Roy H.A.; Salis, Lucia; Berendse, Frank; Veenendaal, Elmar M.; Stewart, Alan; Sait, Steven
• Is Part Of: Insect conservation and diversity. Volume 8:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 282
• Page End: 287
• Publication Date: 2015-02-12
• Subjects: Entomology -- Periodicals; Insects -- Conservation -- Periodicals; Biodiversity -- Periodicals; Insects -- Ecology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 333.955716
• DOI: 10.1111/icad.12116
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-458X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="icad12116-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <list id="icad12116-list-0001" list-type="order"> <list-item> <p>Levels of artificial night lighting are increasing rapidly worldwide, subjecting nocturnal organisms to a major change in their environment. Many moth species are strongly attracted to sources of artificial night lighting, with potentially severe, yet poorly studied, consequences for development, reproduction and inter/intra‐specific interactions.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Here, we present results of a field‐based experiment where we tested effects of various types of artificial lighting on mating in the winter moth (<italic>Operophtera brumata, </italic> Lepidoptera: Geometridae). We illuminated trunks of oak trees with green, white, red or no artificial LED light at night, and caught female <italic>O. brumata</italic> on these trunks using funnel traps. The females were dissected to check for the presence of a spermatophore, a sperm package that is delivered by males to females during mating.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>We found a strong reduction in the number of females on the illuminated trunks, indicating artificial light inhibition of activity. Furthermore, artificial light inhibited mating: 53% of females caught on non‐illuminated trunks had mated, whereas only 13%, 16% and 28% of the females that were caught on green, white and red light illuminated trunks had mated respectively.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>A second experiment showed that artificial night lighting reduced the number of males that were attracted to a synthetic <italic>O. brumata</italic> pheromone lure. This effect was strongest under red light and mildest under green light.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>This study provides, for the first time, field‐based evidence that artificial night lighting disrupts reproductive behaviour of moths, and that reducing short wavelength radiation only partly mitigates these negative effects.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>