The attraction of nocturnal insects by light is a known phenomenon with unknown physiological mechanisms. Butterflies of the superfamily Pyraloidea mount the strongest reactions to light, though the spectral preferences of these insects have not been studied. The moth Ostrinia scapulalis, which lives on dicotyledonous plants and is a pest of hemp and hops, is the ancestral form of the Asian and European corn borers, widespread pests of corn. Studies using a wind tunnel modified to include a light source were run to test the responses of males and females to light stimuli with emission maxima of 532, 440, and 365 nm at an illumination of 2 lx created at the point at which the insects were released; the light used was able to stimulate the photoreceptors of both compound eyes (sensitivity peaks at 352, 413, 480, and 530 nm) and simple eyes, i.e., ocelli (main sensitivity peak in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, with an additional peak in the green region (360 and 520 nm)). Ultraviolet light was found to be the most attractive stimulus. A small percentage of insects responded to green light and displayed freezing responses close to the light source. The least attractive was blue light, which also induced freezing. Thus, flight of O. scapulalis was induced by short-wavelength light. This response is more consistent with the sensitivity of ocelli than that of compound eyes. Blue or green radiation led to masking reactions.
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Translated from Sensornye Sistemy, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 130–137, April–June, 2023.
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Zhukovskaya, M.I., Selitskaya, O.G., Schenikova, A.V. et al. Reaction of Imagos of the Adzuki Bean Borer Ostrinia Scapulalis to Light Stimuli in a Wind Tunnel. Neurosci Behav Physi 53, 1635–1640 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-023-01558-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-023-01558-7