Effects of light pollution on development rate of the painted lady butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

ABSTRACT: Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt circadian rhythms and phenology for lepidoptera since photoperiod is a dominant cue for their life cycles. The goal of this study was to discover how ALAN exposure affects the timing of caterpillar development into chrysalis and metamorphosis into a butterfly. The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) frequents Texas from spring through fall. For this project, commercially sourced V. cardui caterpillars were used to study effects of ALAN in controlled indoor conditions, at a constant temperature of 23 °C. Throughout October 2020, April 2021, October 2021, and March 2022, caterpillars were exposed to 0, 9.5, 17.5, or 24 h of 300 lux white light emitting diode (LED) lights, and the days until chrysalis formation and butterfly emergence were obse

SUBMITTER: Schultz JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12817312 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature