ReviewEcology and evolution2018
The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis.
Review in Ecology and evolution, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 101 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
101 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A review of the effects of artificial light at night in urban areas on the ecosystem level and the remedial measures.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Artificial Light at Night Alters Both of Nocturnal and Diurnal Pollination Networks in Alpine Meadows.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Optimising the insect trap rate of solar lights: An application of a linear mixed-effects model to count data.Pest management science · 2026Article
- Citizen science reveals temporally structured insect attraction and mitigation efficacy under artificial light at night.Communications biology · 2026Article
- Automated monitoring of insects system: building a non-lethal and scalable solution for monitoring of nocturnal insects.HardwareX · 2026Article
- Article
- Wavelength-Specific Transcriptomic Responses ofInsects · 2026Article
- A Novel Light-Induced Collective Circular Movement inEcology and evolution · 2026Article
- The diversity of lepidopteran spatial orientation strategies - neuronal mechanisms and emerging challenges in a changing world.Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2026Review
- Spectral Preferences ofInsects · 2026Article
- Mitigating light pollution impacts on arthropods based on light-emitting diode properties.Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology · 2026Article
- Metropolitan coastal night lighting aligns with ecological and plastic divergence in closely relatedPNAS nexus · 2026Article
- Light pollution: environmental and health impacts at high latitudes.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2026Review
- Effects of light pollution on development rate of the painted lady butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).Environmental entomology · 2026Article
- Light Intensity Modulates Locomotor Behavior and Predation in Different Color Morphs of the Harlequin Ladybird,Insects · 2025Article
- Article
- Artificial light at night (ALAN) negatively affects nest site occupancy but does not influence breeding success in two sympatric owl species.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Herbivory rate is elevated but orb-weaver spider growth unaffected by artificial light at night in subtropical forest.Die Naturwissenschaften · 2025Article
- Artificial Light at Night Affects Larval Growth Without Altering Survival or Pupation in Spongy Moth (Ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Spatio-Temporal Variation in Aerial Arthropod Abundance Revealed by Weather Radars.Global change biology · 2025Article
41 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
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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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.