Artificial light at night causes diapause inhibition and sex-specific life history changes in a moth.

ABSTRACT: Rapidly increasing levels of light pollution subject nocturnal organisms to major alterations of their habitat, the ecological consequences of which are largely unknown. Moths are well-known to be attracted to light at night, but effects of light on other aspects of moth ecology, such as larval development and life-history, remain unknown. Such effects may have important consequences for fitness and thus for moth population sizes. To study the effects of artificial night lighting on development and life-history of moths, we experimentally subjected Mamestra brassicae (Noctuidae) caterpillars to low intensity green, white, red or no artificial light at night and determined their growth rate, maximum caterpillar mass, age at pupation, pupal mass and pupation duration. We found sex-specific e

SUBMITTER: van Geffen KG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4201423 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature