Circadian rhythms affect electroretinogram, compound eye color, striking behavior and locomotion of the praying mantis Hierodula patellifera

Exposure to Artificial Light at Night and the Consequences for Flora, Fauna, and Ecosystems

The present review draws together wide-ranging studies performed over the last decades that catalogue the effects of artificial-light-at-night (ALAN) upon living species and their environment. We provide an overview of the tremendous variety of light-detection strategies which have evolved in living organisms - unicellular, plants and animals, covering chloroplasts (plants), and the plethora of ocular and extra-ocular organs (animals). We describe the visual pigments which permit photo-detection, paying attention to their spectral characteristics, which extend from the ultraviolet into infrared. We discuss how organisms use light information in a way crucial for their development, growth and survival: phototropism, phototaxis, photoperiodism, and synchronization of circadian clocks. These aspects are treated in depth, as their perturbation underlies much of the disruptive effects of ALAN. The review goes into detail on circadian networks in living organisms, since these fundamental features are of critical importance in regulating the interface between environment and body. Especially, hormonal synthesis and secretion are often under circadian and circannual control, hence perturbation of the clock will lead to hormonal imbalance. The review addresses how the ubiquitous introduction of light-emitting diode technology may exacerbate, or in some cases reduce, the generalized ever-increasing light pollution. Numerous examples are given of how widespread exposure to ALAN is perturbing many aspects of plant and animal behaviour and survival: foraging, orientation, migration, seasonal reproduction, colonization and more. We examine the potential problems at the level of individual species and populations and extend the debate to the consequences for ecosystems. We stress, through a few examples, the synergistic harmful effects resulting from the impacts of ALAN combined with other anthropogenic pressures, which often impact the neuroendocrine loops in vertebrates. The article concludes by debating how these anthropogenic changes could be mitigated by more reasonable use of available technology - for example by restricting illumination to more essential areas and hours, directing lighting to avoid wasteful radiation and selecting spectral emissions, to reduce impact on circadian clocks. We end by discussing how society should take into account the potentially major consequences that ALAN has on the natural world and the repercussions for ongoing human health and welfare.

Foliage Intensity is an Important Cue of Habitat Location for Empoasca onukii

For many herbivorous insects, vision is more important than olfaction in the prealighting stage of host habitat location. Tea leafhoppers, Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), are serious pests that preferentially inhabit the tender leaves of tea plants across China. Here, we investigated whether tea leafhoppers could distinguish foliage colors associated with different leaf ages and use this visual cue to guide suitable habitat location from short distances. Similar to honeybees, the adult E. onukii has an apposition type of compound eye, and each ommatidium has eight retinular cells, in which three spectral types of photoreceptors are distributed, with peak sensitivities at 356 nm (ultraviolet), 435 nm (blue), and 542 nm (green). Both changes in spectral intensity and hue of reflectance light of the host foliage were correlated with varying leaf age, and the intensity linearly decreased with increasing leaf age. Behavioral responses also showed that adult E. onukii could discriminate between the simulated colors of host foliage at different leaf ages without olfactory stimuli and selected the bright colors that strongly corresponded to those of tender leaves. The results suggest that, compared with the spectral composition (hue), the intensity of light reflectance from leaves at different ages is more important for adult leafhoppers when discriminating host foliage and could guide them to tender leaves at the top of tea shoots.

Effect of prolonged photoperiod on ocular tissues of domestic turkeys

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to investigate the structural and functional ocular changes that develop in turkeys exposed to a photoperiod of 23 h of light (23L) compared with a photoperiod of 14 h of light (14L).

PROCEDURES

Ten-day-old Nicholas heavy strain poults were exposed to either a 14L or 23L photoperiod. Between 16 and 18 weeks of age, equal numbers of turkeys per treatment group underwent ophthalmic examination (biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy) (n = 14), refractometry (n = 20), keratometry (n = 20), tonometry (n = 20), and full-field electroretinography (ERG) (n = 14). Postmortem analyses included orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n = 10) and light microscopy (n = 24) at 18 weeks of age.

RESULTS

Autorefraction revealed a median of -0.13 for sphere in both groups (P = 0.69), which is approximately emmetropia. The radius of curvature of the cornea was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) and the refractive power of the cornea was significantly lower (P = 0.0001) in the 23L group. The astigmatic power was significantly greater in the 23L group (P = 0.0001). Mean intraocular pressure did not differ between groups (P = 0.085). Turkeys from the 23L group had significantly larger globes in nasotemporal (P = 0.0007), dorsoventral (P = 0.015), and anterioposterior (P = 0.021) directions, and anterior chambers were more shallow (P = 0.0002). ERGs revealed the 23L group to have lower a- and b-wave amplitudes and significantly lower cone flicker amplitudes (P = 0.0008). Light microscopic examination revealed 23L turkeys to have significantly decreased numbers of nuclei in the outer nuclear layer (P = 0.0001) and inner nuclear layer (P = 0.0186), and decreased choroidal thickness (P = 0.0008). The prevalence of cataract in the 23L group was significantly higher (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposing turkeys to a prolonged photoperiod induces significant ocular disease.