Newcastle University PhD student Callum Macgregor explains how a new study has revealed that street lights alter the activity of moths.
The findings of the study, an Open Access paper published today in the scientific journal Global Change Biology, could have potentially serious implications for wildlflower species.
The study forms part of a three-and-a-half year research collaboration between Butterfly Conservation, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and the Universities of Newcastle and Hull.
It is widely accepted that butterflies are among the most important groups of pollinators but the majority of our species of Lepidoptera are moths. As a PhD student co-supervised by Butterfly Conservation staff, my supervisors and I have set out to establish the importance of moths to pollination in the UK and abroad. In a paper published last year (which you can read here), we reviewed evidence from around the globe that moths are important pollinators of a diverse range of plant species, including some evidence of a role in the UK.
Butterfly Conservation’s 2013 report The State of Britain’s Larger Moths showed that our native moths are in trouble, with two-thirds of widespread and common macro-moth species in decline over the last 40 years.
Among the likely causes of this decline is the continuing increase in the use of artificial light at night to illuminate our streets, parks and gardens. Moths are known to be attracted to sources of artificial light and there is a growing base of evidence that this could affect their growth, reproduction and ability to escape predators. We were interested in whether the effects of artificial lights on moths could alter their role as pollinators.
Our research revealed that moth activity in street-lit areas shifts from vegetation level to lamp-post height, with lights attracting moths away from the fields and hedgerows. Moth abundance at ground level was halved in lit areas but flight activity at the height of the street light was nearly doubled. Around a quarter of moths were carrying pollen (from at least 28 plant species), supporting the idea that moths make an important contribution to pollination in the UK. However, we found some evidence that moths may carry less pollen, and from fewer species, in street-lit areas.
Dr Darren Evans of Newcastle University, one of my lead PhD supervisors, compares these findings to worries about more well-known pollinators, bees and butterflies. he said: “There is a great deal of concern at the moment about our falling pollinator populations and the knock-on effect on plant pollination. Our research suggests that it’s a process that is being damaged on two fronts – night and day”.
The project is funded under the NERC Industrial CASE studentship scheme, which aims to place PhD students into “mutually beneficial research collaboration between academic and non-academic partner organisations”. Acting as the CASE partner on the project, Butterfly Conservation staff including Head of Recording Richard Fox, Zoe Randle, Les Hill, Mark Parsons, and Director of Conservation Nigel Bourn have all been able to advise and shape this research.
Richard in particular is one of my PhD supervisors and a co-author on the paper. He said: “Moths are an important part of the UK’s biodiversity, as pollinators of wild flowers and as food for many birds and predators. The role of artificial light in causing moth declines remains unclear, but this new research indicates effects not just on moths but on the whole ecosystem”.
We hope that our findings can help to conserve this beautiful and charismatic group of insects and the flowers that depend upon them. Dealing with an issue such as street lighting can be complex:
Dr Michael Pocock of CEH, my other lead supervisor, said: "Street lighting at night is important for road safety and people’s security but our research is just the latest piece of evidence showing the unintended negative effects of street lighting on wildlife”. We are now investigating a number of recent advances in technology, such as the rise of LED street lighting, to see whether they may offer opportunities to reduce these negative effects.
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