Moths are strongly attracted to ultraviolet and blue radiation
Open accessAbstract
We carried out three choice experiments with 6116 nocturnal lepidopteran individuals (95 species, 7 families, 32 075 counts), each replicated 105 times during the seasons of 2 years. Moths were released indoors at the centre of a 10 × 10 m area with different lamps placed at each corner. In experiment 1, lamps emitted ultraviolet (UV) (peak at 365 nm), blue (450 nm), green (520 nm) or cool white (450 and 520 nm) radiation. In experiment 2, UV was replaced by red (640 nm). In experiment 3, we used UV and three mixed radiation lamps of different emission intensities (365–520 nm). We applied a linear mixed effect model to test for differences in attraction to the light sources. Among all counts, 12.2% (males) and 9.2% (females) were attracted to a lamp. Among the lamp counts, 84% were made at the UV lamp in experiment 1. In experiment 2, 63% of the counts were made at the blue lamp. In experiment 3, most counts were made at the strongest mixed radiation lamp (31%), and the UV lamp (28%). Patterns were generally similar across Lepidopteran families, and for both sexes. Moths are clearly preferentially attracted to short‐wave radiation. Even small quantities of UV radiation, emitted, for example, by metal halide lamps and certain mercury vapour tubes, will disproportionately contribute to light pollution. Since blue light also attracts moths strongly, lamps with a low proportion of blue light should be given priority in lighting planning.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
This kind of light attracts predominantly Lepidoptera and Dipteran.
“This kind of light attracts predominantly Lepidoptera and Dipteran.”
From Soundscapes and deep learning enable tracking biodiversity recovery in tropical forests (2023) · cites this paper as [63]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing
R Core Team (2000) · doi:10.32614/r.manuals · Cited by 355,706 · see citing works
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using <b>lme4</b>
Bates, D., Mächler, M., Bolker, B., & Walker, S. (2015) · Journal of Statistical Software · doi:10.18637/jss.v067.i01 · Cited by 86,835 · see citing works
Simultaneous Inference in General Parametric Models
Hothorn, T., Bretz, F., & Westfall, P. H. (2008) · Biometrical Journal · doi:10.1002/bimj.200810425 · Cited by 13,950 · see citing works
The arcsine is asinine: the analysis of proportions in ecology.
Warton, D., & Hui, F. K. C. (2011) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/10-0340.1 · Cited by 2,306 · see citing works
The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness
Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Duriscoe, D. M., Kyba, C. C. M., Elvidge, C. D., Baugh, K., Portnov, B. A., Rybnikova, N. A., & Furgoni, R. (2016) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.1600377 · Cited by 1,695 · see citing works
T HE E VOLUTION OF C OLOR V ISION IN I NSECTS
Briscoe, A. D., & Chıttka, L. (2001) · Annual Review of Entomology · doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.46.1.471 · Cited by 1,415 · see citing works
Insect Declines in the Anthropocene
Wagner, D. L. (2019) · Annual Review of Entomology · doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025151 · Cited by 1,360 · see citing works
The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis
Owens, A. C. S., & Lewis, S. M. (2018) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.4557 · Cited by 412 · see citing works
Lunn, R. M., Blask, D. E., Coogan, A. N., Figueiro, M. G., Gorman, M. R., Hall, J. E., Hansen, J., Nelson, R. J., Panda, S., Smolensky, M. H., et al. (2017) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.056 · Cited by 402 · see citing works
Why artificial light at night should be a focus for global change research in the 21st century
Davies, T. W., & Smyth, T. (2017) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.13927 · Cited by 397 · see citing works
Effect of spectral composition of artificial light on the attraction of moths
van Langevelde, F., Ettema, J. A., Donners, M., WallisDeVries, M. F., & Groenendijk, D. (2011) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.06.004 · Cited by 310 · see citing works
LED lighting increases the ecological impact of light pollution irrespective of color temperature
Pawson, S. M., & Bader, M. K. (2014) · Ecological Applications · doi:10.1890/14-0468.1 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Reduced flight-to-light behaviour of moth populations exposed to long-term urban light pollution
Altermatt, F., & Ebert, D. (2016) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2016.0111 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Macgregor, C. J., Evans, D. M., Fox, R., & Pocock, M. J. O. (2016) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.13371 · Cited by 189 · see citing works
Merckx, T., & Slade, E. M. (2014) · Insect Conservation and Diversity · doi:10.1111/icad.12068 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
Hartig, F. (2021) · Cited by 158 · see citing works
Desouhant, E., Gomes, E., Mondy, N., & Amat, I. (2019) · Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata · doi:10.1111/eea.12754 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Trap Responses of Flying Insects: The Influence of Trap Design on Capture Efficiency
Muirhead-Thomson, R. C. (1991) · Cited by 128 · see citing works
van Grunsven, R. H. A., Donners, M., Boekee, K., Tichelaar, I., van Geffen, K. G., Groenendijk, D., Berendse, F., & VEENENDAAL, E. M. (2014) · Journal of Insect Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10841-014-9633-9 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Brehm, G. (2017) · Nota Lepidopterologica · doi:10.3897/nl.40.11887 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Self-citationBell, J. R., Blumgart, D., & Shortall, C. R. (2020) · Insect Conservation and Diversity · doi:10.1111/icad.12412 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
The Families of Malesian Moths and Butterflies
Holloway, J. D., Kibby, G., Peggie, D., et al. (2001) · BRILL eBooks · doi:10.1163/9789004475595 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Davies, T. W., Bennie, J., Cruse, D., Blumgart, D., Inger, R., & Gaston, K. J. (2017) · Global Change Biology · doi:10.1111/gcb.13615 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Walton, R. E., Sayer, C. D., Bennion, H., & Axmacher, J. C. (2020) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2019.0877 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Self-citationVision and the light environment
Warrant, E. J., & Johnsen, S. (2013) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.019 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Self-citationShedding light on moths: shorter wavelengths attract noctuids more than geometrids
Somers-Yeates, R., Hodgson, D. J., McGregor, P. K., Spalding, A., & ffrench‐Constant, R. H. (2013) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2013.0376 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Park, J., & Lee, H. (2017) · Applied Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1007/s13765-017-0263-2 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Colors of attraction: Modeling insect flight to light behavior
Donners, M., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Groenendijk, D., van Langevelde, F., Bikker, J. W., Longcore, T., & VEENENDAAL, E. M. (2018) · Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A Ecological and Integrative Physiology · doi:10.1002/jez.2188 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Cowan, T., & Gries, G. (2009) · Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata · doi:10.1111/j.1570-7458.2009.00838.x · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Street lighting: sex‐independent impacts on moth movement
Degen, T., Mitesser, O., Perkin, E. K., Weiß, N., Oehlert, M., Mattig, E., & Hölker, F. (2016) · Journal of Animal Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12540 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Wakefield, A., Broyles, M., Stone, E., et al. (2016) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.2527 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Brehm, G., & Axmacher, J. C. (2006) · Environmental Entomology · doi:10.1603/0046-225x-35.3.757 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Self-citationExperimental evidence for male biased flight‐to‐light behavior in two moth species
Altermatt, F., Baumeyer, A., & Ebert, D. (2009) · Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata · doi:10.1111/j.1570-7458.2008.00817.x · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Quantifying the attractiveness of broad‐spectrum street lights to aerial nocturnal insects
Wakefield, A., Broyles, M., Stone, E., et al. (2017) · Journal of Applied Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13004 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
The Mothematics of Female Pheromone Signaling: Strategies for Aging Virgins
Umbers, K. D. L., Symonds, M. R. E., & Kokko, H. (2015) · The American Naturalist · doi:10.1086/679614 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Experimental light at night has a negative long-term impact on macro-moth populations
van Grunsven, R. H. A., van Deijk, J. R., Donners, M., Berendse, F., Visser, M. E., VEENENDAAL, E. M., & Spoelstra, K. (2020) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.083 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Potential Long‐Term Global Environmental Implications of Efficient Light‐Source Technologies
Bergesen, J. D., Tähkämö, L., Gibon, T., & Suh, S. (2015) · Journal of Industrial Ecology · doi:10.1111/jiec.12342 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Bolliger, J., Hennet, T., Wermelinger, B., et al. (2020) · Journal of Insect Conservation · doi:10.1007/s10841-020-00235-1 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
van Grunsven, R. H. A., Becker, J., Peter, S., Heller, S., & Hölker, F. (2019) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su11226198 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Sex-Specific Attraction of Moth Species to Ultraviolet Light Traps
Garris, H. W., & Snyder, J. A. (2010) · Southeastern Naturalist · doi:10.1656/058.009.0302 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Wesołowski, M. (2019) · Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy · doi:10.1007/s12036-019-9586-1 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Cheng, W., Zheng, X., Wang, P., et al. (2016) · Journal of Insect Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10905-016-9569-x · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Warrant, E. J., Johnsen, S., & Nilsson, D. (2020) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-805408-6.00002-6 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Drivers of Heuristic Optimization in Insect Object Manufacture and Use
Mhatre, N., & Robert, D. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01015 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Briscoe, D.B. & Chittka, L. (2001) The evolution of color vision in insects. Annual Review in Entomology, 46, 471-510.
- © 2021 The Authors. Insect Conservation and Diversity published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Entomological Society., Insect Conservation and Diversity, doi: 10.1111/icad.12476
- Warrant, E.J., Johnsen, S. & Nilsson, D.E. (2020) Light and the visual environment. The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference. (ed. by B. Fritzsch), 2nd Edn, pp. p. 1-27. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Soundscapes and deep learning enable tracking biodiversity recovery in tropical forests
Müller, J., Mitesser, O., Schaefer, H. M., Seibold, S., Busse, A., Kriegel, P., Rabl, D., Gelis, R., Arteaga, A., Freile, J., et al. (2023) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41693-w · Cited by 89 · see citing works
- Authors
- Brehm, G., Niermann, J., Jaimes Nino, L. M., Enseling, D., Jüstel, T., Axmacher, J. C., Warrant, E., & Fiedler, K.
- Affiliations
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
- University of Regensburg Regensburg Germany
- FH Münster University of Applied Sciences (DE)
- Agricultural University of Iceland (IS)
- Lund University (SE)
- University of Vienna (AT)
- Corresponding author
- Brehm, Gunnar
- ORCID
- Venue
- Insect Conservation and Diversity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 188-198
- ISSN
- 1752-458X (ISSN-L)
- 1752-4598
- OpenAlex
- W3139328473
- Cited by
- 76
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6
- FWCI
- 3.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Insect Conservation and Diversity (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- University of Regensburg Publication Server (University of Regensburg) (submittedVersion)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- Common Library Network (Der Gemeinsame Bibliotheksverbund) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Impact of Light on Environment and Health
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect behavior and control techniques
- Keywords
- moths, Lepidoptera, shortwave radiation, light pollution, nocturnal insects, artificial light sources, lighting design, discrete choice experiment
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
