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VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 (2025)
Differential attraction of pest and beneficial insect guilds to artificial lights in the diverse farming landscapes of the Deccan Plateau
Authors
Gowri Nayak Somashekar DS
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of artificial lighting in
agricultural landscapes has profound implications for insect ecology and
agricultural sustainability. This study examines the differential responses of
pest and beneficial insect guilds to various artificial light sources across
the heterogeneous farming systems of the Deccan Plateau, India. We conducted
systematic light trap surveys across multiple cropping seasons in cotton,
soybean, and mixed farming systems, comparing attraction patterns to LED,
fluorescent, mercury vapour, and sodium vapour lights. Our findings reveal
significant guild-specific responses, with nocturnal pest species showing
preferential attraction to broad-spectrum lights (mercury vapour and
fluorescent), while beneficial predators and parasitoids demonstrated more
varied responses dependent on wavelength characteristics. Lepidopteran pests,
particularly Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera frugiperda,
exhibited 3.2-fold higher capture rates under mercury vapour lights compared to
narrow-spectrum LEDs. Conversely, beneficial arthropods, including carabid
beetles and parasitic hymenoptera, showed reduced phototactic responses overall
but demonstrated selective attraction to specific LED wavelengths (380-420 nm).
These differential attraction patterns present opportunities for developing
precision lighting strategies that could enhance integrated pest management
while minimising impacts on beneficial arthropod communities. Our results
suggest that strategic placement and spectral modification of agricultural
lighting could serve as a sustainable tool for pest control while preserving
ecosystem services in tropical farming landscapes.
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Pages:8-14
How to cite this article:
Gowri Nayak Somashekar DS "Differential attraction of pest and beneficial insect guilds to artificial lights in the diverse farming landscapes of the Deccan Plateau". World Journal of Entomology, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2025, Pages 8-14
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