Oriented migratory flight at night: Consequences of nighttime light pollution for monarch butterflies Adam F. Parlin, Samuel M. Stratton, and Patrick A. Guerra Abstract We show that light trespass—a form of nighttime light pollution (NLP)—elicits normal daytime clock-mediated migratory behavior in fall monarch butterflies during their night-cycle. In controlled indoor flight simulator studies isolating the... Continue Reading →
New Lit Alert: Urbanization extends flight phenology and leads to local adaptation of seasonal plasticity in Lepidoptera
Urbanization extends flight phenology and leads to local adaptation of seasonal plasticity in Lepidoptera Thomas Merckx, Matthew E. Nielsen, Janne Heliölä, Mikko Kuussaari, Lars B. Pettersson, Juha Pöyry, Juha Tiainen, Karl Gotthard, and Sami M. Kivelä Abstract Urbanization is gaining force globally, which challenges biodiversity, and it has recently also emerged as an agent of... Continue Reading →
Urban Observation of the Week: Scaling Salamander
Amphibians can be really great "indicator species" that, if they are present and healthy, then the ecosystem is doing ok. Some amphibians though are really great generalists and can tolerate a range of ecosystem changes. This week, we see a two-lined salamander chomping on the bugs that the porch lights attract. Do you have a... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: Artificial Light at Night and West Nile Virus in House Sparrows
As habitats become increasingly urbanized, wildlife are exposed to artificial light at night (ALAN). Greater exposure to ALAN can have detrimental effects on animal physiology, such as suppressing components of the host immune system. However, how these changes ultimately affect infectious disease dynamics remains poorly understood. Meredith Kernbach, a PhD candidate at the University of... Continue Reading →
SICB 2020: Artificial Light at Night and Stress
Urban areas are easy to find during the night as they quite literally light up. Urban light pollution disrupts biological processes from gene expression to ecosystem composition across multiple taxa, including birds, insects, mammals, and fishes. With ever-increasing urbanization, understanding the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on urban organisms is crucial to future... Continue Reading →