Light pollution could lengthen the time of year that mosquitoes bite
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Cities are sui generis environments, in which temperaturesThe weather forecast and even the length of days are strongly influenced by the habits of human beings. With the arrival of winter, for example, the days naturally tend to get shorter. But in a metropolis, with its street lights and signs and frenetic activity that goes on well after sunset, the effect is probably much less evident, especially for an animal naturally programmed to align its behavior with the rising and the setting of the sun. In the case of mosquitoes, for example, the effect of light pollution risks being that of lengthening the activity season, and therefore the period in which we have to come to terms with their annoying stings. As suggested by research just published in the journal Insects.
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The research was carried out in the laboratories of the Ohio State Universityand analyzed in particular the behavior of the mosquitoes of the species Culex pipiens, which throughout the northern hemisphere, including Europe, play an important role in terms of health as carriers of the West Nile virus. A longer active season, which also extends into the autumn, therefore means a greater chance of spreading the disease even in the cold months.
“In Ohio, the highest levels of West Nile virus transmission are recorded in summer and early autumn – confirms Megan Meuti, entomologist at the American university who coordinated the research – if mosquitoes postpone or delay diapause (a sort of hibernation they go through in the cold months, ed) and continue to remain active longer during the year, this occurs in a period in which the insects are more likely to be infected with the West Nile and the population is at greater risk of becoming ill.”
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The research previously carried out by Meuti had revealed that the onset of diapause in mosquitoes is strongly influenced by the circadian rhythm, which in turn is linked to the length of the day, and that exposure to nocturnal light is able to keep the females active even at times of the year when they should be hibernating. In the study just published, the researcher investigated the issue by studying the behavior and accumulation of nutrients in the laboratory, in two different lighting conditions: one that mimicked the normal length of the day, and one in which night lighting remained high even as the cold season arrives.
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The results revealed significant changes in the metabolic rates of insects exposed to artificial light in the dark hours, suggesting – according to Meuti and his team – that thelight pollution of our cities change the circadian rhythm of mosquitoes, helping them to remain active even when winter arrives. “In the short term, this could be negative for mammals, because mosquitoes can bite us even later in the year – concludes Meuti – but it could also prove negative for mosquitoes in the long term, because not putting the activities into practice preparations necessary to survive during the winter diapause could reduce their chances of survival”.
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