3 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
Moths are more efficient pollinators at night than pollinators that fly by day, such as bees, finds new research published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Amid widespread concern about the decline in wild pollinating insects Like bees and butterflies, researchers at the University of Sussex found that moths are particularly vital pollinators for nature.
Surveying 10 sites in south-east England throughout July 2021, the researchers found that 83% of insect visits to bramble blossoms took place during the day. While the moths made fewer visits during the shorter summer nights, reaching only 15% of the visits, they were able to pollinate the flowers more quickly.
As a result, the researchers concluded that moths are more efficient pollinators than daytime flying insects like bees, which are traditionally considered “workers.” Although insects that fly during the day have more time available to transfer pollenthe moths made an important contribution during the short hours of darkness.
Professor Fiona Mathews, Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Sussex and co-author of this latest research, says it’s a statement: “Bees are undoubtedly important, but our work has shown that moths pollinate flowers at a faster rate than daytime flying insects. Unfortunately, many moths are in serious decline in Britain, which affects not only pollination but also the food supply for many other species, from bats to birds. , and we will be rewarded with a harvest of blackberries. They are all winners!”
The researchers studied the contribution of nocturnal and non-nocturnal insects to blackberry pollination. They monitored the number of insects visiting the flowers using camera traps, and calculated how quickly pollen was deposited at different times of the day by experimentally preventing insects from visiting some flowers but not others.
Furthermore, the study indicates the importance of the bramble, a shrub widely regarded as inauspicious and routinely removed, but that it is in fact critical for nocturnal pollinators.
Pollinating insects are a vital part of many ecological communities and a very important part of the natural ecosystem. Pollinators allow plants to produce fruit, produce seeds, and reproduce. This in turn provides food and habitat for a variety of other creatures. So the health of our ecosystems is fundamentally tied to bees and other pollinators. However, due in large part to climate change and intensive agriculture, there is a general decline in wild pollinators.
This research shows that both night-flying and day-flying pollinators must be protected to allow natural ecosystems to flourish. As a result, the researchers are also asking the UK public to do their part to Protect moths by planting white flowers, growing patches of weeds and rough grass, and turning off night lights.
