Moths are more efficient pollinators than bees, scientists find

Photo: Pixabay/mendocino53

Bees are efficient pollinators, but even they are outdone by … wait for it … moths.

Scientists from Essex studying 10 sites in the south east of England for a month in summer monitored how much both diurnal and nocturnal insects contributed to the pollination of bramble flowers. By the help of camera traps they also worked out how quickly pollen was deposited at different times of day.

They found that 83% of insect visits to brambles in the area were made during the day. Moths made far fewer visits during nights, accounting for only 15% of the visits, but they managed to pollinate the flowers more quickly than bees by day, the scientists say.

This suggests that nocturnal moths make an important and hitherto overlooked contribution to plant pollination at night. This is a key finding as the declines in the numbers of bees and other pollinators have raised alarms among experts.

“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,” says Max Anderson, a PhD student at the University of Sussex who was one of the researchers.

“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,” Anderson stresses.

“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,” explains Fiona Mathews, a professor of environmental biology at the University of Sussex who was also an author of a study.

The research demonstrates that both diurnal and nocturnal pollinators need to be protected in order for natural ecosystems to flourish. We can protect moths by planting white flowers, growing patches of scrub and rough grass, and turning off night lights, the scientists say.

“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!” Mathews says.