The
Euchloron
megaera
moth
is
a
nocturnal
pollinator
of
orchids.
Francis
DEMANGE
/
Gamma-Rapho
via
Getty
Images
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Pollinators
are
essential
for
the
reproduction
of
most
plant
species,
including
many
major
food
crops,
as
well
as
for
the
maintenance
of
healthy
ecosystems.
A
new
research
review
by
scientists
at
Lund
University
in
Sweden
has
found
that
—
in
90
percent
of
cases
studied
—
nocturnal
pollinators
like
moths
are
just
as
important
as
bees
and
other
daytime
pollinators.
“The
daily
transition
between
day
and
night,
known
as
the
diel
cycle,
is
characterised
by
significant
shifts
in
environmental
conditions
and
biological
activity,
both
of
which
can
affect
crucial
ecosystem
functions
like
pollination,”
the
authors
of
the
findings
wrote.
“Our
synthesis
revealed
an
overall
lack
of
difference
in
pollination
between
day
and
night;
many
plant
species
(90%
of
studied
spp.)
exhibit
similar
pollination
success
across
the
diel
cycle.”
For
more
than
six
decades,
scientists
have
been
trying
to
determine
whether
the
pollination
of
plants
happens
mostly
during
daylight
hours
or
at
night,
without
any
clear
conclusion
being
reached,
a
press
release
from
Lund
University
said.
The
research
into
diel
pollination
differences
examined
different
pollination
outcomes
between
night,
day,
open,
and
closed
pollination
treatments
(A),
progressed
over
time
(B),
occurred
across
a
range
of
daylengths
(C),
temperature
conditions,
and
elevations
(D).
The
time
series
(B)
shows
the
cumulative
(line)
and
annual
(bars)
number
of
publications.
Each
study’s
daylength
(C,
hours)
was
computed
using
each
study’s
location
and
median
date.
Daily
temperature
range
and
elevation
(D)
were
extracted
based
on
study
location
(see
Methods).
Ecology
Letters (2024).
DOI:
10.1111/ele.70036
Most
people
are
aware
of
the
importance
of
bees,
butterflies
and
birds
for
plant
reproduction
and
agriculture,
but
less
attention
has
been
given
to
pollinators
who
are
active
at
night,
like
bats,
nocturnal
butterflies
and
moths.
And
these
equally
important
pollinators
don’t
just
get
less
recognition
—
they
are
also
less
protected
than
their
daytime
counterparts.
The
interest
of
Liam
Kendall
and
Charlie
Nicholson,
researchers
from
Lund
University,
in
nocturnal
pollinators
was
piqued
when
they
ran
across
studies
exploring
individual
plant
species
that
are
pollinated
in
the
daytime
versus
at
night.
They
suspected
that
previous
research
might
have
overlooked
nocturnal
pollinators.
Kendall
and
Nicholson
put
together
data
from
135
studies
around
the
world
and
found
that,
of
the
139
species
of
plants
examined,
90
percent
had
similar
reproductive
success
whether
they
were
pollinated
at
night
or
during
the
day.
“We
were
definitely
surprised
by
the
number
of
plant
species
where
it
didn’t
matter.
We
found
this
really
fascinating
because
it’s
easy
to
assume
that
a
specific
plant
needs
a
specific
pollinator.
The
analysis
actually
showed
almost
the
opposite
—
there’s
much
more
flexibility.
A
different
pollinator
than
expected
can
contribute
enough
for
a
plant
species
to
reproduce,”
Kendall
said.
The
results
of
the
first-of-its-kind
global
meta-analysis
bring
up
questions
of
human
biases
in
science.
Kendall
hypothesized
that
many
researchers
have
likely
had
a
fixed
idea
of
how
pollination
for
certain
plants
should
occur.
Kendall
also
speculated
that
most
people
being
active
during
daylight
hours
could
lead
to
them
overlooking
what
happens
while
they’re
sleeping.
“We
have
this
idea
that
all
the
magic
happens
during
the
day,
because
that’s
when
we’re
active,
and
that’s
when
we
see
bees
and
butterflies
fluttering
around
flowers,”
Kendall
said.
Kendall
believes
daytime
pollinators
being
seen
as
beautiful
is
a
factor
as
well.
“Bees
are
such
a
big
part
of
our
cultural
identity.
We
learn
that
they’re
important.
And
they’re
fluffy
and
cute
to
look
at.
While
moths
—
I
mean,
they
have
their
prettier
cousins,
the
butterflies,
which
we
love,
but
moths
are
gray
and
dusty,
and
they
eat
your
clothes.
How
could
they
possibly
do
anything
positive?”
Kendall
added.
Given
human
activity’s
pressure
on
biodiversity,
the
researchers
said
their
study
calls
attention
to
the
importance
of
considering
daytime
and
nocturnal
pollinators
in
conservation
and
agriculture.
[embedded content]
For
example,
Kendall
said
the
life
cycle
of
a
moth
is
entirely
different
from
that
of
a
bee,
so
their
ecological
needs
are
different.
“The
analysis
shows
that
we
need
to
change
the
way
we
think
about
how
environments
can
support
pollinators
and
biodiversity,”
Kendall
said.
And
if
pollination
at
night
is
really
important,
it
becomes
critical
to
avoid
light
pollution
—
excessive
or
badly
placed
lighting
that
disturbs
the
natural
environment.
“Actions
are
often
taken
to
protect
daytime
pollinators,
such
as
spraying
pesticides
at
night.
There’s
an
oversight
there
—
sure,
you’re
protecting
the
daytime
insects,
but
you’re
also,
theoretically,
harming
the
nocturnal
pollinators.
This
means
we
could
be
doing
much
more,
but
we
haven’t
thought
enough
about
it
so
far,
and
more
research
is
needed,”
Kendall
said.
The
study,
“Pollination
Across
the
Diel
Cycle:
A
Global
Meta-Analysis,”
was
published
in
the
journal
Ecology
Letters.
[embedded content]
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