Turn off porch light to aid caterpillars -- and safeguard backyard ecosystems
Published:04 Apr.2023 Source:Cornell University
Given the global ubiquity of artificial light at night, increased threat to caterpillars is yet another ecological problem for lepidoptera, in addition to habitat loss, agricultural-chemical pollutants, invasive species and climate change, according to the paper.
Moderate levels of artificial light at night -- like the fixture illuminating your backyard -- bring more caterpillar predators and reduce the chance that these lepidoptera larvae grow up to become moths and serve as food for larger prey.
This ecological impact was demonstrated in a new Cornell University study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.