Ultraviolet Vision May be Widespread in Bats

Gorresen, P. Marcos; Cryan, Paul M.; Dalton, David C.; Wolf, Sandy A.; Bonaccorso, Frank J.

doi:10.3161/15081109acc2015.17.1.017

Cited by 31 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…However, the strong negative response of this species to these lights suggests a sensitivity for UV light in this species. Slow-flying Myotis spp showed a strong negative reaction toward both street lamp types which confirms the overall light sensitivity of this genus (Stone et al, 2015;Straka et al, 2016;Lewanzik and Voigt, 2017), including the sensitivity toward UV emission (Gorresen et al, 2015). Overall, street lamps without UV emission (LED lamps) showed no positive effect on the activity of any bat species or species groups.…”

Section: Species-specific Responses To Light Variables and Tree Covermentioning

confidence: 54%

“…Hence, these types of lamps provide effective foraging grounds which reduce the hunting effort for bats (Acharya and Fenton, 1999;Rydell, 2006). In contrast, some species might be sensitive to UV emission (Zhao et al, 2009) and likely be disturbed by it (Gorresen et al, 2015). Since Lepidopterans are major prey items in the diet of P. pipistrellus and P. nathusii, (Arlettaz et al, 2000;Krüger et al, 2014), it is likely that these species take advantage of a concentration of larger moths around street lights with UV light emission.…”

Section: Species-specific Responses To Light Variables and Tree Covermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, bats might show different responses to street lamps with UV light irrespective of prey availability at these street lamps, given that shorter wavelengths in the UV spectrum attract larger moths (van Langevelde et al, 2011). Although UV vision may be widespread in bats (Winter et al, 2003;Gorresen et al, 2015), UV sensitivity might differ among taxa (Zhao et al, 2009). Hence, while some bat species may take advantage of foraging around street lamps with UV light (e.g., mercury vapor and metal-halide lamps), other species that can perceive UV light, e.g., some species of the genus Myotis (Gorresen et al, 2015), might be disturbed by UV light emission.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tree Cover Mediates the Effect of Artificial Light on Urban Bats

et al. 2019

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With urban areas growing worldwide, so does artificial light at night (ALAN) which negatively affects many nocturnal animals, including bats. The response of bats to ALAN ranges from some opportunistic species taking advantage of insect aggregations around street lamps, particularly those emitting ultraviolet (UV) light, to others avoiding lit areas at all. Tree cover has been suggested to mitigate the negative effects of ALAN on bats by shielding areas against light scatter. Here, we investigated the effect of tree cover on the relationship between ALAN and bats in Berlin, Germany. In particular, we asked if this interaction varies with the UV light spectrum of street lamps and also across urban bat species. We expected trees next to street lamps to block ALAN, making the adjacent habitat more suitable for all species, irrespective of the wavelength spectrum of the light source. Additionally, we expected UV emitting lights next to trees to attract insects and thus, opportunistic bats. In summer 2017, we recorded bat activity at 22 green open spaces in Berlin using automated ultrasonic detectors. We analyzed bat activity patterns and landscape variables (number of street lamps with and without UV light emission, an estimate of light pollution, and tree cover density around each recording site within different spatial scales) using generalized linear mixed-effects models with a negative binomial distribution. We found a species-specific response of bats to street lamps with and without UV light, providing a more detailed picture of ALAN impacts than simply total light radiance. Moreover, we found that dense tree cover dampened the negative effect of street lamps without UV for open-space foraging bats of the genera Nyctalus, Eptesicus, and Vespertilio, yet it amplified the already existing negative or positive effect of street lamps with or without UV on Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus, and Myotis spp. Our study underpins the importance of minimizing artificial light at night close to vegetation, particularly for bats adapted to spatial complexity in the environment (i.e., clutter-adapted species), and to increase dense vegetation in urban landscape to provide, besides roosting opportunities, protection against ALAN for open-space foraging bats in city landscapes.

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Section: Species-specific Responses To Light Variables and Tree Covermentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Species-specific Responses To Light Variables and Tree Covermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tree Cover Mediates the Effect of Artificial Light on Urban Bats

et al. 2019

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“…Overall, Flight Path Switch Distances (FPSD) were mostly longer around white lights, which is likely due to the fact that bats may perceive white light as more intense compared to red light due their spectral sensitivity [37,38]. Such differences in FPSD could also be linked with differences in light intensity at equal distance, higher for white than red lamps we studied (4.83 more lux in average in a 5 m radius around red lights; see Additional file 1: Appendix S1 for graphical representation of light intensity in relation to the distance to white and red lights), which is known to be one of light parameters driving impacts on bats [39].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bats seek refuge in cluttered environment when exposed to white and red lights at night

et al. 2021

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Background Artificial light at night is recognized as an increasing threat to biodiversity. However, information on the way highly mobile taxa such as bats spatially respond to light is limited. Following the hypothesis of a behavioural adaptation to the perceived risks of predation, we hypothesised that bats should avoid lit areas by shifting their flight route to less exposed conditions. Methods Using 3D acoustic localization at four experimentally illuminated sites, we studied how the distance to streetlights emitting white and red light affected the Probability of bats Flying Inside the Forest (PFIF) versus along the forest edge. Results We show that open-, edge-, and narrow-space foraging bats strongly change flight patterns by increasing PFIF when getting closer to white and red streetlights placed in the forest edge. These behavioural changes occurred mainly on the streetlight side where light was directed. Conclusions The results show that bats cope with light exposure by actively seeking refuge in cluttered environment, potentially due to involved predation risks. This is a clear indication that bats make use of landscape structures when reacting to light, and shows the potential of vegetation and streetlight orientation in mitigating effects of light. The study nevertheless calls for preserving darkness as the most efficient way.

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“…Until recently it was thought that S-opsin, encoded by the OPN1SW gene, was likely functional across the suborder Yangochiroptera (e.g. Butz et al, 2015, Feller et al, 2009, Marcos Gorresen et al, 2015, Gutierrez et al, 2018, Müller et al, 2009, Winter et al, 2003 and Zhao et al, 2009a). However, with increased taxonomic sampling of neotropical bat species this has been shown to not be the case, and multiple independent lineages with diverse ecologies (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multifactorial processes underlie parallel opsin loss in neotropical bats

Sadier

Davies

Yohe

et al. 2018

eLife

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The loss of previously adaptive traits is typically linked to relaxation in selection, yet the molecular steps leading to such repeated losses are rarely known. Molecular studies of loss have tended to focus on gene sequences alone, but overlooking other aspects of protein expression might underestimate phenotypic diversity. Insights based almost solely on opsin gene evolution, for instance, have made mammalian color vision a textbook example of phenotypic loss. We address this gap by investigating retention and loss of opsin genes, transcripts, and proteins across ecologically diverse noctilionoid bats. We find multiple, independent losses of short-wave-sensitive opsins. Mismatches between putatively functional DNA sequences, mRNA transcripts, and proteins implicate transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes in the ongoing loss of S-opsins in some noctilionoid bats. Our results provide a snapshot of evolution in progress during phenotypic trait loss, and suggest vertebrate visual phenotypes cannot always be predicted from genotypes alone.

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Ultraviolet Vision May be Widespread in Bats

Cited by 31 publications

References 40 publications

Tree Cover Mediates the Effect of Artificial Light on Urban Bats

Tree Cover Mediates the Effect of Artificial Light on Urban Bats

Bats seek refuge in cluttered environment when exposed to white and red lights at night

Multifactorial processes underlie parallel opsin loss in neotropical bats

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