Slugs (<i>Arionidae</i>) benefit from nocturnal artificial illumination

Grunsven, Roy H. A. van; Jähnichen, David; Grubisić, Maja; Hölker, Franz

doi:10.1002/jez.2170

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Especially in the well wooded peri-urban areas, it is likely that insectivorous predators such as the abundant great and blue tits (Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus) may benefit from the presence of exhausted or dead insects that were attracted to the lights during the night. This has also been described, for example, for carrion beetles and slugs [16,19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Long-Term Comparison of Attraction of Flying Insects to Streetlights after the Transition from Traditional Light Sources to Light-Emitting Diodes in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings

et al. 2019

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Among the different light sources used for street lighting, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are likely to dominate the world market in the coming years. At the same time, the spectral composition of nocturnal illumination is changing. Europe and many other areas worldwide have implemented bans on energy-inefficient lamps, such as the still very common mercury vapor lamps. However, the impact of artificial light on insects is mostly tested with light-traps or flight-intercept traps that are used for short periods only. By comparing the numbers of insects attracted by street lamps before and after replacing mercury vapor light sources (MV) with light emitting diodes, we assessed the impact in more typical (urban and peri-urban) settings over several years. We found that LED attracted approximately half of the number of insects compared to MV lights. Furthermore, most insect groups are less drawn by LED than by MV, while Hymenoptera are less attracted by MV than by LED. Thus, the composition of the attracted communities differed between the light sources, which may impact ecosystem processes and functions. In green peri-urban settings more insects are attracted than in an urban setting, but the relative difference between the light sources is the same.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Long-Term Comparison of Attraction of Flying Insects to Streetlights after the Transition from Traditional Light Sources to Light-Emitting Diodes in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings

et al. 2019

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“…Several studies have noted an influx of predatory and scavenging arthropods into lit areas (Davies, Bennie, & Gaston, ; Šustek, ), though this response appears to be taxon‐specific (Eccard, Scheffler, Franke, & Hoffmann, ; Manfrin et al, ; Meyer & Sullivan, ; van Grunsven, Jähnichen, Grubisic, & Hölker, ). Broad‐spectrum LED lights in combination with urban heat reduced pea aphid populations by increasing visibility and lengthening the activity period of their visually oriented coccinellid predators (Miller et al, ); however, in similar experiments, bright illumination decreased or did not affect rates of parasitism by parasitoid wasps (Kehoe et al, ; Sanders et al, , see Sanders, Kehoe, Cruse, Veen, & Gaston, ).…”

Section: Community‐level Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis

Owens

Lewis

2018

Ecology and Evolution

266

201

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In recent decades, advances in lighting technology have precipitated exponential increases in night sky brightness worldwide, raising concerns in the scientific community about the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on crepuscular and nocturnal biodiversity. Long‐term records show that insect abundance has declined significantly over this time, with worrying implications for terrestrial ecosystems. The majority of investigations into the vulnerability of nocturnal insects to artificial light have focused on the flight‐to‐light behavior exhibited by select insect families. However, ALAN can affect insects in other ways as well. This review proposes five categories of ALAN impact on nocturnal insects, highlighting past research and identifying key knowledge gaps. We conclude with a summary of relevant literature on bioluminescent fireflies, which emphasizes the unique vulnerability of terrestrial light‐based communication systems to artificial illumination. Comprehensive understanding of the ecological impacts of ALAN on diverse nocturnal insect taxa will enable researchers to seek out methods whereby fireflies, moths, and other essential members of the nocturnal ecosystem can coexist with humans on an increasingly urbanized planet.

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“…Furthermore, attraction to lights can increase abundance of pests (e.g. slugs, van Grunsven et al, ), potentially increasing damage to crops in illuminated fields. ALAN can also alter community composition of ground‐dwelling invertebrates (Fig.…”

Section: Does Artificial Light At Night Affect Agroecosystems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?

Grubisić

Grunsven

Kyba

et al. 2018

Annals of Applied Biology

162

108

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Drastic declines in insect populations, 'Ecological Armageddon', have recently gained increased attention in the scientific community, and are commonly considered to be the consequence of large-scale factors such as land-use changes, use of pesticides, climate change and habitat fragmentation. Artificial light at night (ALAN), a pervasive global change that strongly impacts insects, remains, however, infrequently recognised as a potential contributor to the observed declines. Here, we provide a summary of recent evidence of impacts of ALAN on insects and discuss how these impacts can drive declines in insect populations in light-polluted areas. ALAN can increase overall environmental pressure on insect populations, and this is particularly important in agroecosystems where insect communities provide important ecosystem services (such as natural pest control, pollination, conservation of soil structure and fertility and nutrient cycling), and are already under considerable environmental pressure. We discuss how changes in insect populations driven by ALAN and ALAN itself may hinder these services to influence crop production and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Understanding the contribution of ALAN and other factors to the decline of insects is an important step towards mitigation and the recovery of the insect fauna in our landscapes. In future studies, the role of increased nocturnal illumination also needs to be examined as a possible causal factor of insect declines in the ongoing 'Ecological Armageddon', along with the more commonly examined factors. Given the large scale of agricultural land use and the potential of ALAN to indirectly and directly impact crop production and biodiversity, a better understanding of effects of ALAN in agroecosystems is urgently needed. (Hallmann et al., 2017), popularly named 'Ecological Armageddon'. The authors used Malaise traps to collect data from 63 sites located within protected areas that are embedded in an agricultural landscape in two regions in Germany and found that biomass of flying insects decreased more than 75% over 27 years. This trend could not be explained by the changes in habitat, climate or land use (Hallmann et al., 2017), suggesting that another large-scale factor must therefore be involved. We suggest

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Slugs (Arionidae) benefit from nocturnal artificial illumination

Cited by 19 publications

References 23 publications

Long-Term Comparison of Attraction of Flying Insects to Streetlights after the Transition from Traditional Light Sources to Light-Emitting Diodes in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings

Long-Term Comparison of Attraction of Flying Insects to Streetlights after the Transition from Traditional Light Sources to Light-Emitting Diodes in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings

The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis

Insect declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter?

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