Insects Don’t Swarm at LED Lights

The widespread shift from incandescent bulbs to LED lighting is dramatically reducing the number of insects drawn to outdoor lights, according to field observations shared by guide Roland Rumm during the WINGS Veracruz birding trip. Rumm noted that the well-lit outdoor dining area his family operates no longer attracts the geckos that once climbed toward the lights to feed on swarming insects, a change he attributes to the LED conversion. The article notes that entomologists and moth enthusiasts have long relied on light traps—typically a light source paired with a white sheet—to survey nighttime insect populations, a method whose results may shift as lighting technology changes. The piece cites the visible color difference between incandescent and LED lights but stresses that the crucial gap in insect attraction between the two remains invisible to people. The observation matters because declining insect attendance at artificial lights could affect both casual observers and formal insect surveys, though the article offers no quantified data on the scale of the decline. What to watch next is whether entomologists adjust survey methods or lighting choices to account for the LED effect as conversions continue.