MSGID: 1:317/3 647eb675   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Saving moths may be just as important as saving the bees    
      
     Date:   
         June 5, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Sheffield   
     Summary:   
         Night-time pollinators such as moths may visit just as many plants   
         as bees, and should also be the focus of conservation and protection   
         efforts, a new study suggests.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   Night-time pollinators such as moths may visit just as many plants as   
   bees, and should also be the focus of conservation and protection efforts,   
   a new study from the University of Sheffield suggests.   
      
   The study found that moths under pressure from urbanisation may also be   
   less resilient than bees, due to their more complex life cycle and more   
   specific plant requirements.   
      
   It also revealed that despite this threat, moths play a crucial role   
   in supporting urban plant communities, accounting for a third of all   
   pollination in flowering plants, crops and trees.   
      
   The researchers suggest that when planning or redeveloping urban areas,   
   supporting the introduction of plant species that are beneficial for   
   moths, as well as bees, will become increasingly important for the health   
   of urban ecosystems.   
      
   Dr Emilie Ellis, lead author from the University of Sheffield's Grantham   
   Institute for Sustainable Futures, and now the Research Centre for   
   Ecological Change (REC) at the University of Helsinki, said: "Our study   
   found that in more urbanised areas the diversity of pollen being carried   
   by moths and bees decreases, meaning that urban pollinators may have   
   less flower resources available to them.   
      
   "As moths and bees both rely on plants for survival, plant populations   
   also rely on insects for pollination. Protecting urban green spaces and   
   ensuring they are developed in such a way that moves beyond bee-only   
   conservation but also supports a diverse array of wildlife, will ensure   
   both bee and moth populations remain resilient and our towns and cities   
   remain healthier, greener places."  In the study, Dr Ellis and her   
   co-authors showed that bees and moths are visiting significantly different   
   plant communities. Along with the usual pale and fragrant flower species   
   moths are known to frequent, the study showed that moths were found to   
   be carrying more pollen than previously thought, and visiting more types   
   of tree and fruit crops than previously identified.   
      
   In urbanised areas, there can sometimes be an overabundance of   
   non-native plant species, or just an overall reduction in the diversity   
   of plant species; this may result in lower insect interactions for less   
   attractive plant species, having negative effects on both plant and   
   insect populations.   
      
   Dr Ellis says the research demonstrates just how crucial moths are at   
   pollinating plants, including crops, and that the study has implications   
   for wildlife-friendly gardening initiatives, urban planners and policy   
   makers responsible for developing urban green spaces for parks or urban   
   horticulture.   
      
   Dr Ellis said: "People don't generally appreciate moths so they can   
   often be overlooked compared to bees when talking about protection   
   and conservation, but it's becoming apparent that there needs to be a   
   much more focused effort to raise awareness of the important role moths   
   play in establishing healthy environments, especially as we know moth   
   populations have drastically declined over the past 50 years.   
      
   "When planning green spaces, consideration needs to be given to ensure   
   planting is diverse and moth-friendly as well as bee-friendly, to ensure   
   both our plants and insects remain resilient in the face of the climate   
   crisis and further losses."  Dr Stuart Campbell, from the University   
   of Sheffield's School of Biosciences, and a senior author on the study,   
   said: "Most plants depend on insects for pollination, but knowing which   
   insects do the pollinating is actually a really difficult question to   
   answer. There are about 250 species of bee in the UK, and we know quite   
   a bit about some of these species, but we also have over 2,500 species   
   of moth which visit flowers mostly at night. So, as you might expect,   
   we know a lot less about these.   
      
   "What we were able to do in this study is use DNA sequencing to   
   identify the pollen that gets stuck to night-flying moths when they   
   visit flowers. We found that moths are probably pollinating a range of   
   plant species, many of them wild, that are unlikely to be pollinated by   
   bees -- and vice versa. It's clear from this study that pollination is   
   achieved by complex networks of insects and plants, and these networks   
   may be delicate, and sensitive to urbanisation. We can also learn which   
   plant species might be the best sources of food for different insects,   
   including nocturnal ones like adult moths, and use that information to   
   better provide for all our pollinators."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Insects_(including_Butterflies) # Endangered_Plants #   
                   Botany # Nature   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Exotic_Species # Sustainability # Ecology #   
                   Environmental_Awareness   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Bee o Conservation_ethic o Conservation_biology o   
             Pollination_management o Marine_conservation o Beekeeping o   
             Africanized_bee o Moth   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Sheffield. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Emilie E. Ellis, Jill L. Edmondson, Kathryn H. Maher, Helen   
      Hipperson,   
         Stuart A. Campbell. Negative effects of urbanisation on diurnal   
         and nocturnal pollen-transport networks. Ecology Letters, 2023 DOI:   
         10.1111/ ele.14261   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230605181342.htm   
      
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