In the modern age, the pervasive glow of artificial lighting—particularly streetlights—casts an unintended shadow over nocturnal wildlife, with moth populations facing unprecedented challenges. These delicate insects, often referred to as the “bees of the night” due to their critical role in pollination, are increasingly caught in a complex web of disrupted behaviors caused by artificial illumination. Although scientists have long recognized the detrimental effects of light pollution on moth navigation, the intricate mechanisms governing these disruptions remain elusive. At the forefront of investigating these mysteries is Dr. Jacqueline Degen, a biologist at the University of Oldenburg, whose pioneering research project, Lightstar, has garnered significant attention by securing a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant totaling 1.5 million euros. This funding will support her ambitious five-year endeavor to unravel how urban light pollution diminishes moth mating success by interfering with their flight orientation.
The ERC Starting Grant awarded to Dr. Degen is a testament to her expertise and the innovative potential of her research. The University of Oldenburg recognizes this success as a substantial enhancement of their research profile, particularly within the realm of animal navigation housed under the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence. This interdisciplinary cluster, beginning operations in January 2026, aims to fuse expertise across various species, from migratory birds to aquatic krill, creating a fertile environment for breakthroughs in understanding the navigational biology underpinning animal mobility in altered environments.
At the heart of Degen’s research is a technologically advanced, yet delicately crafted, approach to monitoring moth flight paths with unprecedented resolution. Traditionally, moth flight has proved elusive to track accurately over large spatial scales, especially during nocturnal hours in their natural habitats. To overcome this, Degen and her team are pioneering the development of an ultra-lightweight transponder system, which can be affixed to individual moths without hindering their movement. This transponder, weighing mere milligrams, emits signals detectable by a custom-built drone, allowing researchers to trace moth trajectories and altitudinal changes across several hundred meters in three-dimensional space. This breakthrough methodology promises a novel window into moth navigation dynamics under diverse environmental lighting conditions.
The complexity of such tracking lies not only in miniaturization but also in signal clarity. Nighttime field conditions introduce substantial challenges; for example, dew-laden grasslands produce abundant uncontrolled reflective surfaces that can obscure or distort transponder signals. Degen’s team is thus developing specialized transponders and analytical algorithms tailored to differentiate authentic flight signals from environmental noise. Achieving reliable detection under these circumstances represents a significant technical hurdle but one that, once surmounted, will equip researchers with a powerful tool to discern how moths respond to subtle variations in light levels, moon phase, and weather variables.
The scientific questions driving this research stem from moth species’ evolved reliance on natural celestial cues. Privet hawk moths and elephant hawk moths, in particular, use the moon and stars as navigational beacons during their nocturnal foraging and mate-seeking expeditions. The increasing brightness of artificial urban lighting threatens to obscure these cues, leading to disorientation and disrupted mating behaviors. Degen hypothesizes that artificial light interrupts male moths’ spatial orientation, diminishing their efficiency in locating receptive females. Such interference could gradually reduce reproductive rates and contribute to the documented global insect decline which has broad ecological repercussions.
Understanding these mechanisms requires elaborate experimental design that simulates real-world interactions between artificial and natural light. In planned large-scale field trials, the Lightstar team will release male moths at controlled distances from females and progressively introduce streetlight simulations amidst natural moonlight. This setup will allow meticulous observation of moth behavioral modifications linked to variations in light intensity, cloud cover, wind speed, and other environmental parameters. The integration of drone-facilitated 3D tracking will yield fine-grained data illuminating how moth flight duration, altitude, and directional movement fluctuate in response to these variables.
Beyond basic science, the implications of this research are profound for conservation strategies aimed at mitigating insect population declines attributable to anthropogenic environmental changes. By quantifying how specific lighting configurations disrupt moth behavior, Degen’s work could inform urban planning and policy decisions focused on minimizing ecological damage. For instance, simple yet effective interventions such as lowering lamp heights to avoid obstructing moth flight corridors or adjusting light spectra to reduce attraction could emerge from the evidence produced, fostering coexistence between human infrastructure and nocturnal ecosystems.
The Lightstar project is underpinned by multidisciplinary collaboration, blending fields such as behavioral ecology, animal physiology, aeronautics, and signal processing. Dr. Degen’s background in behavioral physiology and sociobiology, coupled with her doctoral research on honeybee navigation, equips her with unique insights into insect spatial orientation. Since joining the University of Oldenburg’s Insect Spatial Orientation and Navigation Lab under Professor Dr. Basil el Jundi, renowned for his work in navigational biology, she has assembled a talented research team including a postdoctoral fellow and two doctoral candidates, ready to embark on this journey starting February 2026.
Integral to the scientific rigor of Lightstar is the development of evaluation methods capable of parsing vast amounts of motion data into meaningful behavioral patterns. Advanced machine learning tools and statistical models will be employed to detect subtle shifts in moth flight paths correlating with ambient light changes. Such high-resolution analysis will extend beyond individual flights, enabling population-level inferences about the cumulative impact of artificial lighting on nocturnal pollinator dynamics over time and space.
The program’s success could catalyze broader investigations into biomimetic navigation systems and conservation robotics, leveraging insights gained from moth flight to inform adaptive technologies. Furthermore, the principles elucidated through this work might be transferable to other nocturnal insects and wildlife suffering similar disruptions, potentially spawning a new era of eco-centric urban lighting designs that harmonize human needs with biodiversity preservation.
In conclusion, Dr. Jacqueline Degen’s Lightstar project represents a pioneering convergence of biological research and cutting-edge technology aimed at uncovering the elusive mechanisms by which artificial light undermines the flight paths and mating success of moths. By integrating ultra-lightweight transponders, drone-mediated 3D tracking, and refined signal processing within naturalistic weather and lighting scenarios, this initiative promises to deepen our comprehension of nocturnal insect navigation. Ultimately, these findings may translate into concrete ecological interventions and policy frameworks that curtail the accelerating decline of vital insect populations amidst the glow of human civilization.
Subject of Research: Effects of artificial light pollution on moth navigation and mating behaviors
Article Title: Illuminating the Night: Tracking Moth Flight to Combat the Hidden Crisis of Light Pollution
News Publication Date: Not specified
Image Credits: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt
Keywords: Life sciences, Animals, Behavioral ecology, Insect navigation, Light pollution, Environmental conservation
Tags: animal navigation researchartificial lighting and wildlifechallenges facing moth populationsDr. Jacqueline Degen studyERC Starting Grant significancelight pollution effects on mothsLightstar research projectmoth navigation disruptionnocturnal insect behaviorpollination and mothsUniversity of Oldenburg research profileurban light pollution research
