Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area
Artificial light at night (ALAN) reduces insect populations by altering their movements, foraging, reproduction, and predation. Although ALAN is mainly associated with streetlights and road networks, the ornamental illumination of monuments is making an increasing (but not well-studied) contribution...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/12/1153 |
| _version_ | 1797457127283884032 |
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| author | Anxo Méndez Luis Martín Justo Arines Rafael Carballeira Patricia Sanmartín |
| author_facet | Anxo Méndez Luis Martín Justo Arines Rafael Carballeira Patricia Sanmartín |
| author_sort | Anxo Méndez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Artificial light at night (ALAN) reduces insect populations by altering their movements, foraging, reproduction, and predation. Although ALAN is mainly associated with streetlights and road networks, the ornamental illumination of monuments is making an increasing (but not well-studied) contribution. We compared insect attraction to two different types of light sources: a metal halide lamp (a type currently used to illuminate monuments) and an environmentally sound prototype lamp (CromaLux) comprising a combination of green and amber LEDs. The experiment was performed within the pilot CromaLux project in Santiago de Compostela (NW Spain). The abundance and diversity of the insects captured between June and October 2021 in the areas surrounding both light sources and in an unlit area were compared. By limiting the light emitted to amber and green, the CromaLux lamps reduced the number and diversity of insects, morphospecies, and orders attracted to the light, with similar numbers captured as in the unilluminated area, while a greater diversity of insects was captured beside the metal halide lamp. This effect has been demonstrated for almost all insect orders trapped, especially in Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera. On the contrary, Psocoptera showed a similar attraction to the CromaLux and metal halide lamps, a phenomenon whose causes deserve further investigation. As expected, Diptera were the most diverse and abundant insects in all samples, but the abundance of Lepidoptera was unexpectedly low (4%), which is in line with the worldwide evidence of the progressive decline of populations of this group. The study findings provide evidence that selecting specific wavelengths for ornamental lighting reduces the attraction of insects while maintaining adequate illumination of monuments for aesthetic purposes, resulting in a lower environmental impact on nocturnal insects. This study provides reference data for developing principles of good practices leading to possible regulatory and legal solutions and the incorporation of specific measures for artificial lighting of monuments and urban structures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:17:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-658af6f403b24dfe927b8a79865bd0be |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:17:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-658af6f403b24dfe927b8a79865bd0be2023-11-24T15:40:03ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-12-011312115310.3390/insects13121153Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban AreaAnxo Méndez0Luis Martín1Justo Arines2Rafael Carballeira3Patricia Sanmartín4GEMAP (GI-1243), Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Farmacia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, SpainGEMAP (GI-1243), Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Farmacia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, SpainDepartamento de Física Aplicada, Facultade de Óptica e Optometría, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, SpainCentro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, 15008 A Coruña, SpainGEMAP (GI-1243), Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Farmacia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, SpainArtificial light at night (ALAN) reduces insect populations by altering their movements, foraging, reproduction, and predation. Although ALAN is mainly associated with streetlights and road networks, the ornamental illumination of monuments is making an increasing (but not well-studied) contribution. We compared insect attraction to two different types of light sources: a metal halide lamp (a type currently used to illuminate monuments) and an environmentally sound prototype lamp (CromaLux) comprising a combination of green and amber LEDs. The experiment was performed within the pilot CromaLux project in Santiago de Compostela (NW Spain). The abundance and diversity of the insects captured between June and October 2021 in the areas surrounding both light sources and in an unlit area were compared. By limiting the light emitted to amber and green, the CromaLux lamps reduced the number and diversity of insects, morphospecies, and orders attracted to the light, with similar numbers captured as in the unilluminated area, while a greater diversity of insects was captured beside the metal halide lamp. This effect has been demonstrated for almost all insect orders trapped, especially in Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera. On the contrary, Psocoptera showed a similar attraction to the CromaLux and metal halide lamps, a phenomenon whose causes deserve further investigation. As expected, Diptera were the most diverse and abundant insects in all samples, but the abundance of Lepidoptera was unexpectedly low (4%), which is in line with the worldwide evidence of the progressive decline of populations of this group. The study findings provide evidence that selecting specific wavelengths for ornamental lighting reduces the attraction of insects while maintaining adequate illumination of monuments for aesthetic purposes, resulting in a lower environmental impact on nocturnal insects. This study provides reference data for developing principles of good practices leading to possible regulatory and legal solutions and the incorporation of specific measures for artificial lighting of monuments and urban structures.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/12/1153artificial light at night (ALAN)biodiversityflight-to-light behaviourinsect declinelight-emitting diode (LED)pilot study |
| spellingShingle | Anxo Méndez Luis Martín Justo Arines Rafael Carballeira Patricia Sanmartín Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area Insects artificial light at night (ALAN) biodiversity flight-to-light behaviour insect decline light-emitting diode (LED) pilot study |
| title | Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area |
| title_full | Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area |
| title_fullStr | Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area |
| title_short | Attraction of Insects to Ornamental Lighting Used on Cultural Heritage Buildings: A Case Study in an Urban Area |
| title_sort | attraction of insects to ornamental lighting used on cultural heritage buildings a case study in an urban area |
| topic | artificial light at night (ALAN) biodiversity flight-to-light behaviour insect decline light-emitting diode (LED) pilot study |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/12/1153 |
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