Avalon C.S. Owens

Harvard University | Harvard · Rowland Institute

Historically, most insect chronoecological research has used direct observations, cameras or infrared beam‐based monitors to quantify movement across timed intervals. Although some alternative DIY systems are cheaper than the current standard locomotor activity monitor, these options remain complicated to build and/or computationally intensive. We...

As evidence of global insect declines continues to mount, insect conservationists are becoming increasingly interested in modeling the demographic history of at-risk species from long-term survey data. However, certain entomological survey methods may be susceptible to temporal biases that will complicate these efforts. Entomological light traps, i...

1. Historically, most insect chronoecological research has used direct observations, cameras, or infrared beam-based monitors to quantify movement across timed intervals. Although some alternative DIY systems are cheaper than the current standard locomotor activity monitor, these options remain complicated to build and/or computationally intensive....

Bioluminescent insects have been the subject of scientific interest and popular wonder for millennia. But in the 21st century, the fireflies, click beetles, and cave glow-worms that brighten our nights are threatened by an unprecedented competitor: anthropogenic light pollution. Artificial lights can obscure the light-based signals on which these a...

Anthropogenic light pollution is a novel environmental disruption that affects the movement, foraging and mating behaviour of nocturnal animals. Most of these effects are sublethal, and their net impact on reproductive fitness and population persistence is often extrapolated from behavioural data. Without dedicated tracking of wild individuals, how...

The expansion of human activity into natural habitats often results in the introduction of artificial light at night, which can disrupt local ecosystems. Recent advances in LED technology have enabled spectral tuning of artificial light sources, which could in theory limit their impact on vulnerable taxa. To date, however, experimental comparisons...

The expansion of human activity into natural habitats often results in the introduction of artificial light at night, which can disrupt local ecosystems. Recent advances in LED technology have enabled spectral tuning of artificial light sources, which could in theory limit their impact on vulnerable taxa. To date, however, experimental comparisons...

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a major driver of firefly population declines, but its physiological effects are not well understood. To investigate the impact of ALAN on firefly development, we exposed larval Aquatica ficta fireflies to ALAN for two weeks. High larval mortality was observed in the periods of 1 to 68 days and 106 to 134 days po...

• The rapid spread of artificial light at night (ALAN) poses myriad problems for nocturnal biodiversity. • Bioluminescent taxa that communicate via glowing lures, warning signals, or courtship advertisements may have their signals obscured by artificial illumination, unless the added light is spectrally tuned to reduce its impact. • Previous resear...

Fireflies are charismatic beetles with attractive bioluminescent courtship displays that have recently been swept onto the global stage of nature tourism. Here, we provide the first comprehensive review of the geographic scope, magnitude, focal species, and other attributes of the major firefly tourism sites worldwide. Through targeted interviews a...

Holometabolous insects exhibit complex life cycles in which both morphology and ecological niche change dramatically during development. In the larval stage, many insects have soft, slow-moving bodies and poor vision, limiting their ability to respond to environmental threats. Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an environmental perturbation known...

In the original publication of this paper, a sentence in the “Habitat loss and fragmentation” section incorrectly left out a phrase to read “Genome-wide SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) analysis of Photinus pyralis, a species widespread and abundant across the eastern United States, among populations, with Fst (fixation index) values averaging...

Insect declines and their drivers have attracted considerable recent attention. Fireflies and glowworms are iconic insects whose conspicuous bioluminescent courtship displays carry unique cultural significance, giving them economic value as ecotourist attractions. Despite evidence of declines, a comprehensive review of the conservation status and t...

Insects around the world are rapidly declining. Concerns over what this loss means for food security and ecological communities have compelled a growing number of researchers to search for the key drivers behind the declines. Habitat loss, pesticide use, invasive species, and climate change all have likely played a role, but we posit here that arti...

Two key problems in trying to link rarity to extinction risk have been conflating threats with risk factors, and over-reliance on a rarity construct that fails to capture many relevant risk factors. In this study, we disentangle threats from risk factors and show how their interaction can be used to predict extinction risk. We also investigate the...

Fireflies are some of our most celebrated insects. They have immense cultural, biological, and economic importance and are important components of natural ecosystems. Their public appeal also makes them ideal flagship species for conservation. In this document, we outline the importance of fireflies and describe their life histories and threats to...

Where have all the fireflies gone? The Firefly Watch citizen science project was begun in 2008, spearheaded by a group of scientists supported by the Boston Museum of Science, to solicit help from the wider community in addressing the relative dearth of long-term data on bioluminescent firefly beetles (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). The process is simple...

In recent decades, advances in lighting technology have precipitated exponential increases in night sky brightness worldwide, raising concerns in the scientific community about the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on crepuscular and nocturnal biodiversity. Long‐term records show that insect abundance has declined significantly over this t...

Avalon C.S. Owens¹, Sarah Sander Lower², Kathrin Stanger-Hall³, Sara Lewis¹ - Crepuscular fireflies such as Photinus pyralis emit yellower flashes (560-580 nm) than their nocturnal relatives (550-560 nm). This spectral shift is likely in response to ambient light environment: yellow contrasts more against green foliage visible at twilight. Firefly...

Urbanization can radically disrupt natural ecosystems through alteration of the sensory environment. Habitat disturbances are predicted to favor behaviorally flexible species capable of adapting to altered environments. When artificial light at night (ALAN) is introduced into urban areas, it has the potential to impede reproduction of local firefly...