Moths are more efficient pollinators than bees, shows new research
University of Sussex
Amid widespread concern about the decline
of wild pollinating insects like bees and butterflies, University of Sussex
researchers have discovered that moths are particularly vital pollinators for
nature.
Studying 10 sites in the South East of
England throughout July 2021, the Sussex researchers found that 83% of insect
visits to bramble flowers were made during the day. While the moths made fewer
visits during the shorter summer nights, notching up only 15% of the visits,
they were able to pollinate the flowers more quickly.
As a result, the researchers concluded that
moths are more efficient pollinators than day-flying insects such as bees,
which are traditionally thought of as 'hard-working'. While day-flying insects
have more time available to transfer pollen, moths were making an important
contribution during the short hours of darkness.
Professor Fiona Mathews, Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Sussex and co-author this latest research, says:
"Bees are undoubtedly important, but
our work has shown that moths pollinate flowers at a faster rate than
day-flying insects. Sadly, many moths are in serious decline in Britain,
affecting not just pollination but also food supplies for many other species
ranging from bats to birds. Our work shows that simple steps, such as allowing
patches of bramble to flower, can provide important food sources for moths, and
we will be rewarded with a crop of blackberries. Everyone's a winner!"
Researchers studied the contribution of
both nocturnal and non-nocturnal insects to the pollination of bramble. They
monitored the numbers of insects visiting flowers using camera traps, and
worked out how quickly pollen was deposited at different times of day by
experimentally preventing insects from visiting some flowers but not others.
Additionally, the study indicates the
importance of bramble, a shrub widely considered as unfavourable and routinely
cleared away, but which is in fact critical for nocturnal pollinators.
Dr Max Anderson, who was a PhD student at
the University of Sussex working alongside Professor Mathews at the time of the
research, and who is now South West Landscape Officer at the Butterfly
Conservation, says:
"Moths are important pollinators, and
they are greatly under-appreciated and under-studied. The majority of
pollination research tends to focus on day-flying insects, with little
understanding of what happens at night.
"Now we know that moths are also
important pollinators, we need to take action to support them by encouraging
some bramble and other flowering scrub plants to grow in our parks, gardens,
road verges and hedgerows."
Pollinating insects are a vital part of
many ecological communities and a very important part of the natural ecosystem.
Pollinators allow plants to fruit, set seed and breed. This in turn provides
food and habitat for a range of other creatures. So, the health of our
ecosystems is fundamentally linked to bees and other pollinators. However, due
largely to climate change and intensive agriculture, there is a widespread decline
in wild pollinators.
This research shows that both night-flying and day-flying pollinators need to be protected in order to allow natural ecosystems to flourish. As a result, researchers are also calling for the UK public to do their bit to protect moths by planting white flowers, growing patches of scrub and rough grass, and turning off night lights.