Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciencesOct 29, 2023

Partial-night artificial light harms aphid colonies more than all-night light

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Updated Mar 29, 2026

Abstract

Aphid colony growth was reduced significantly by artificial light at night (ALAN) treatments.

Plant growth was minimally affected by ALAN exposure.
Full-night and part-night ALAN treatments produced strong differences in their effects on aphid populations.
Part-night ALAN had a stronger negative impact on aphid colony growth compared to full-night ALAN.
Defence-related gene expression in plants was influenced by ALAN, but its effects were linked to aphid colony size.
ALAN may disrupt insect herbivore populations indirectly by affecting aphid colonies rather than directly enhancing plant defences.
Reducing exposure to ALAN could paradoxically increase its negative effects on insect herbivores.

Simplified

Artificial light at night (ALAN) threatens natural ecosystems globally. While ALAN research is increasing, little is known about how ALAN affects plants and interactions with other organisms. We explored the effects of ALAN on plant defence and plant-insect interactions using barley () and the English grain aphid (). Plants were exposed to 'full' or 'part' nights of 15-20 lux ALAN, or no ALAN 'control' nights, to test the effects of ALAN on plant growth and defence. Although plant growth was only minimally affected by ALAN, aphid colony growth and aphid maturation were reduced significantly by ALAN treatments. Importantly, we found strong differences between full-night and part-night ALAN treatments. Contrary to our expectations, part ALAN had stronger negative effects on aphid colony growth than full ALAN. Defence-associated gene expression was affected in some cases by ALAN, but also positively correlated with aphid colony size, suggesting that the effects of ALAN on plant defences are indirect, and regulated via direct disruption of aphid colonies rather than via ALAN-induced upregulation of defences. Mitigating ecological side effects of ALAN is a complex problem, as reducing exposure to ALAN increased its negative impact on insect herbivores. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'. Hordeum vulgare Sitobion avenae

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Partial-night artificial light harms aphid colonies more than all-night light

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