Media release

From: The Royal Society

Artificial light at night increases top-down pressure on caterpillars: experimental evidence from a light-naive forest
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Summary: Artificial light at night (ALAN) from excess outdoor light is a global, human-induced threat facing insects. Light pollution alters the sensory landscape for insects at night and affects how predators and parasitoids interact with prey. We illuminated forested habitat at night to explore how ALAN affects predation of larval arthropod stages (caterpillars) by other arthropods using clay caterpillar models while also monitoring changes in the arthropod community. Attack rates on caterpillar models and the abundance of arthropod predators and parasitoids were higher on illuminated plots, demonstrating impacts of ALAN on both adult and larval arthropod life stages.

• Larva lamp - Artificial light at night makes caterpillars vulnerable to predators. This study illuminated forest habitat at night and used clay caterpillars to assess how light affects risk of predation. They found attack rates on caterpillar models, and the abundance of arthropod predators and pests, were higher on illuminated plots. This demonstrates the impact of artificial light at night on adult and larval arthropod life stages. Proceedings of the Royal Society B