Female moths call in vain: Streetlights diminish the promise of mating

Artificial light at night has increased strongly in recent decades and is now affecting moths, a key contributor to pollination networks. The global shift to light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights changes the nocturnal light environment even further, especially because of their high variability in spectrum and intensity. To date, the impact on mating success of moths is only little  known, making it essential to investigate their behavioural responses.
We recorded the flight behaviour of male moths (Sphinx ligustri) using a symmetrical flight tunnel. Two different light environments with a female positioned on one side of the tunnel were used to test the effect of different LEDs (1800K Amber, 2200K Warm white, 3900K Neutral white) and intensities (0.05 lux, 150 lux, 370 lux, 590 lux) on arrival location, flight duration, and direction changes of males.
We have created two different light habitats within the tunnel. A homogeneous light environment, with equal light on both sides of..., We used a flight tunnel to observe and analyse the response of male moths (Sphinx ligustri L., Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) to different light stimuli. This flight tunnel consisted of plexiglass and had a total length of 3.50 m with an inner edge length of 30 x 30 cm. A sliding door enabled us to position the moth in the middle of the tunnel. On top of each end, opaque boxes were positioned that contained the different light sources as well as a hook to add a cage with a female. These boxes had an opening of 20 x 20 cm to connect them with the flight tunnel. To prevent males from entering these boxes, the opening was covered with Gauze (Nobamull, Danz GmbH u. Co KG). To exclude any impact of the room, all non-white or reflective surfaces were covered with white cloths, creating a uniform environment around the flight tunnel.
We tested three different light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provided by Osram (TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG): 1. Amber 1800 K (λ max = 59..., , # **Female moths call in vain: Streetlights diminish the promise of mating** 

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xqt ](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xqt)

## Description of the data and file structure

\**Storms, M., Degen, T., Degen, J. **

**Female moths call in vain: streetlights diminish the promise of mating. *Ecological Entomology***

**Data_Storms.zip**

**Data used to analyze arrival location, flight duration and direction changes of male moth in a flight tunnel.**
 
**Author(s)**

Mona Storms

Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

[[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

Tobias Degen

Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

[[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

Jacqueline Degen

Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

[[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

### Files and variables

#### File: Data\_Storm...,