Full Moon Nights Research Articles

Does wildlife-vehicle collision frequency increase on full moon nights? A case-crossover analysis

Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) raise concerns for both human safety and animal welfare. As the literature has reported increased animal-related crash frequency on full moon nights in several regions, we investigated if a similar pattern is observed in Texas. We counted WVC and non-WVC frequencies on full moon nights and new moon nights in Texas between January 2011 and January 2020. The analysis revealed a 45.80% (95% confidence interval (CI): 29.94%–61.29%) increase in WVCs on full moon nights compared to new moon nights, with no statistically significant difference for non-WVCs (95% CI: -2.58%–1.45%). The association was more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas. It is likely that brighter moonlight is strongly associated with higher WVC rates. The results illuminate the importance of heightened caution for drivers even on bright nights, particularly when driving through areas with high wildlife density.

Notes on Measuring Concentration Ratio Distribution for a Solar Tower Using Moonlight

The authors' original concept of indirect solar flux mapping of a heliostat field measures CRD using a compact stationary array of moonlight illuminometers on the receiver aperture and a reference moonlight illuminometer on the dual-axis moon tracker. Two sets of moonlight concentration experiments (CCD camera + white target; concentrated lunar beam passing across the linear array of illuminators) were carried out on 63 heliostats at Badaling Solar Tower Power Plant in Beijing on a full moon night in 2018. How the sun and moon shapes differ for CRD as light sources on a solar dish is investigated. Solar/lunar CRDs are similar. Another lunar flux mapping model is also presented, allowing different moon shapes to estimate the solar CRD and contribute improvements in extrapolating measured lunar CRDs to a solar tower working with the real Sun by repeated smooth-filtering. In this paper, some unknown factors, effects, and improvements are carefully considered to enhance the CRD measurement accuracy of a solar tower power plant by using moonlight concentration.

Effects of nocturnal celestial illumination on high-flying migrant insects.

Radar networks hold great promise for monitoring population trends of migrating insects. However, it is important to elucidate the nature of responses to environmental cues. We use data from a mini-network of vertical-looking entomological radars in the southern UK to investigate changes in nightly abundance, flight altitude and behaviour of insect migrants, in relation to meteorological and celestial conditions. Abundance of migrants showed positive relationships with air temperature, indicating that this is the single most important variable influencing the decision to initiate migration. In addition, there was a small but significant effect of moonlight illumination, with more insects migrating on full moon nights. While the effect of nocturnal illumination levels on abundance was relatively minor, there was a stronger effect on the insects' ability to orientate close to downwind: flight headings were more tightly clustered on nights when the moon was bright and when cloud cover was sparse. This indicates that nocturnal illumination is important for the navigational mechanisms used by nocturnal insect migrants. Further, our results clearly show that environmental conditions such as air temperature and light levels must be considered if long-term radar datasets are to be used to assess changing population trends of migrants. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.

Artificial light at night (ALAN) pollution alters bat lunar chronobiology: insights from broad-scale long-term acoustic monitoring

BackgroundThe timing of behavior and habitat use of nocturnal animals can be influenced by the lunar cycle in nature. The prevalence of artificial light at night (ALAN) has been recognized as a source of environmental pollution. The interaction between ALAN and the lunar cycle on bat behavior is important for understanding anthropogenic effects on bats. We utilized a decade (2012–2022) of acoustic monitoring data collected in North Carolina, United States, to investigate the relationship between bat activity, lunar cycle, and light pollution. We examined whether the amount of lunar illumination affected species-specific nightly activity and whether hourly bat activity patterns varied between nights with different moon phases. We further investigated if the relationship between bat activity and the lunar cycle might be altered by light pollution.ResultsWe found that seven bat species showed activity variation across nights in relation to the amount of moon illumination when ALAN was absent. In general, bats were less active on full moon nights compared to new moon nights. Light pollution interacted with the bat–lunar relationship in five of the seven species, masking the effect of the lunar cycle. We identified delayed bat activity patterns on nights with a full or waxing moon in seven species, and light pollution altered that pattern in four species. Overall, ALAN was associated with decreased bat activity independent of lunar cycle effects.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that at a broad spatial scale, ALAN negatively affected many North American temperate bat species and altered their lunar chronobiology. As light pollution is spreading to historically dark areas and habitats, ALAN might couple with other threats, such as the white-nose syndrome or climate change, to cause cascading damage in the environment that depends on ecosystem services such as pest control provided by bats. We argue that further research and conservation actions are needed to mitigate the impact of light pollution.

Moonlight diminishes seabird attraction to artificial light

AbstractRescue programs aiming to mitigate light‐induced mortality of seabird fledglings have reported that fewer birds are grounded (and rescued) during full moon nights. Two non‐mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed as explanations: (1) reduction of strandings because birds are less attracted to and disorientated by light pollution during full moon nights; and (2) reduction of fledging activity, that is, chicks avoid departing the colony during nights with increased moonlight. We argue that evidence from rescue programs and other studies supports the first but not the second hypothesis. The evidence supports the conclusion that a higher proportion of fledglings make it safely to sea during full moon nights than during moonless nights. Thus, there is a decrease in the severity of light pollution on seabirds around the full moon.

Free-living gerbils with higher testosterone take fewer risks

Among the physiological differences between the sexes are circulating androgen levels. Testosterone (T) is an androgen that has been linked to aggression and risk-taking in male vertebrates, so that males with higher T are generally more aggressive and take more risks. In females, T is not often measured, and its relationship with behaviour has been less studied. The costs of elevated T are assumed to be higher for reproductive females, while the benefits higher for males. Here, we tested the association between endogenous T and risk-taking behaviours in both males and females under well-studied experimental settings in free-living Baluchistan gerbils (Gerbillus nanus; Gn). In addition, we experimentally elevated Gn T levels using implants and measured risk-taking behaviour. Surprisingly, we found that there were no differences in the association between T and risk-taking behaviours between males and females, and that in both sexes, Gn with higher T levels took fewer risks. We also found that Gn spent equal time foraging between risky (open habitat) and safe (under a bush) experimental food patches. We expected Gn, which are nocturnal, to take fewer risks during full moon nights, but found that Gn were more active during moon lit nights than during dark (new moon) nights. This study demonstrates that T has many functions, and that its effects are complex and often unpredictable. It also shows that hypotheses regarding the propensity to take risks under specific coverage and light regimes are not universal, and likely include variables such as species, environment, context, and predator-specific behavioural strategies.

Vocal activity of the rufous nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) in subtropical Yungas Andean forests of Argentina

ABSTRACT Nightjars (Family Caprimulgidae) are insectivorous birds with crepuscular and nocturnal habits. Their coloration and cryptic behavior make this group extremely difficult to register, being more easily heard than sighted. The rufous nightjar (Antrostomus rufus) is a widely distributed species from Southern Central America to Northern Argentina, but most aspects of its life history remain unknown. By the employment of an acoustic remote unit, we evaluated the vocal activity and environmental variables of vocalizations by rufous nightjars during a complete annual cycle at one site in the Yungas Andean Forests of Northwestern Argentina. The results, based on one sampled site, indicate that the vocal activity of this species is performed during the breeding season (between September and November). During these months, this species showed a peak of vocal activity at midnight (between 00:00 and 01:00 hs) and at dawn (06:00 hs). In addition, most vocalizations were recorded during full moon nights, and temperature was negatively related to the vocal activity. We highlight the importance of using passive acoustic monitoring as a tool for understanding the life history of nocturnal neotropical birds.

Full Moons and Forking Paths

Abstract The claim that fatal motorcycle accidents are more likely when there is a full moon is a compelling example of what Gelman and Loken call a “garden of forking paths”. Gary Smith finds that, under a variety of assumptions, the number of accidents and fatalities on full-moon nights is not unusually large at all

Quiet-time seasonal behaviour of the ionosphere measured by the Ionosphere PhotoMeter (IPM) on the Chinese meteorological satellite FY-3D compared with the IRI2016 model predictions

In this paper, we examine the climatology structure of the mid-night ionosphere at approximately two o’clock local time of a low-solar-activity year and discrepancies between Ionosphere PhotoMeter (IPM) observations and IRI (International Reference Ionosphere) model-2016 predictions using (1) a global structure for the F2 layer peak electron density (NmF2) for four seasons, (2) the mean NmF2 values at different latitudes by month, and (3) the monthly distribution of the global average of NmF2. The data is collected by the IPM, a far-ultraviolet nadir- viewing photometer that has been aboard the second-generation, polar-orbiting Chinese meteorological satellite Feng-Yun 3D (FY-3D) since its launch on November 25th, 2017 and has provided excellent opportunities for many scientific investigations of the ionosphere. We collected night glow data under low geomagnetic activity (KP ≤ 4) during 2018, and the data obtained five days before and after a full-moon night were removed to prevent the influence of stray light. Before analysing the climatology of the ionosphere and comparing the results with those obtained from IRI2016, the accuracy of NmF2 measured by IPM was evaluated by comparison with data from ground-based ionosondes. A statistical comparative analysis of NmF2 measured by IPM and ionosonde indicated a difference of 20% at middle latitudes and 28% at low latitudes. The global behaviour of NmF2 measured by IPM and IRI for four seasons shows that the IRI model generally captures the morphology of the latitudinal structure and hemispheric asymmetry in NmF2 observed by IPM. A comparison between IPM-measured NmF2 and IRI-predicted NmF2 indicates that the former is systematically lower than the latter. The difference in the measurements and predictions can be as large as 300%.

Eclipsed: Emergence-return activity of two pteropodid bat species during lunar eclipse

Lunar eclipses are known to influence flight activity of tropical bats at foraging sites. However, little is known about the onset and offset of flight activity from the roost during lunar eclipses compared to other full moon nights. Emergence from and return to the roost were observed during a total lunar eclipse at a colony of the fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultii and during a partial lunar eclipse at a Pteropus giganteus colony in southern India. In addition, on the same partial eclipse night, a single male P. giganteus was tracked using GPS telemetry. Flight activity in both species was compared between the eclipse night and other full moon nights. In both cases, bats emerged before the eclipse and fewer R. leschenaultii individuals returned to the roost during the hours of the total eclipse, compared to the corresponding hours during other full moon nights. No such difference in return activity was observed in the P. giganteus colony or in the GPS tracked individual between the partial eclipse and other nights. This is the first attempt to study temporal flight activity of bats during lunar eclipses at their roosting sites. More roosting site observations, especially on species that roost in the open, are required to understand the effects of lunar eclipses on bat activity.

Addicted to the moon: vocal output and diel pattern of vocal activity in two Neotropical nightjars is related to moon phase

The moon phase affects the ecology and vocal activity of nightjars (Caprimulgidae). However, some studies have found contradictory results regarding the impact of the moon phase on the vocal activity of nightjars. To increase our knowledge on this topic, we monitored the vocal behavior of two Neotropical nigthjars, the Little nightjar (Setopagis parvula) and the Common pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis), over 5 lunar cycles in the Brazilian Pantanal. We tested the relationships between the moon phase and daily vocal output (number of calls uttered) and the proportions of calling activity at dusk, midnight, and dawn. Our results suggest that moonlight stimulated the vocal output of both species, since it was between 6 and 8 times higher during full moon nights than during new moon nights. Likewise, the proportion of calling activity at midnight was significantly higher during full moon nights. In contrast, the proportion of calling activity of both species was higher at dawn during new moon nights than under the full moon. The calling activity of the Common pauraque was also higher at dusk during new moon nights. These findings might be partly related to the much lower vocal output at midnight during full moon nights and therefore higher proportions of vocal activity at dusk and at dawn under new moon scenarios. This is the first study comparing the vocal behavior of two Neotropical nightjars over different moon phases and shows that the impact of moonlight may differ between species and at a daily scale when analyzing the periods with the highest and lowest illumination. The consequences of the increase in vocal output under moonlight are unknown and should be assessed.

Cloud cover amplifies the sleep-suppressing effect of artificial light at night in geese.

In modern society the night sky is lit up not only by the moon but also by artificial light devices. Both of these light sources can have a major impact on wildlife physiology and behaviour. For example, a number of bird species were found to sleep several hours less under full moon compared to new moon and a similar sleep-suppressing effect has been reported for artificial light at night (ALAN). Cloud cover at night can modulate the light levels perceived by wildlife, yet, in opposite directions for ALAN and moon. While clouds will block moon light, it may reflect and amplify ALAN levels and increases the night glow in urbanized areas. As a consequence, cloud cover may also modulate the sleep-suppressing effects of moon and ALAN in different directions. In this study we therefore measured sleep in barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) under semi-natural conditions in relation to moon phase, ALAN and cloud cover. Our analysis shows that, during new moon nights stronger cloud cover was indeed associated with increased ALAN levels at our study site. In contrast, light levels during full moon nights were fairly constant, presumably because of moonlight on clear nights or because of reflected artificial light on cloudy nights. Importantly, cloud cover caused an estimated 24.8% reduction in the amount of night-time NREM sleep from nights with medium to full cloud cover, particularly during new moon when sleep was unaffected by moon light. In conclusion, our findings suggest that cloud cover can, in a rather dramatic way, amplify the immediate effects of ALAN on wildlife. Sleep appears to be highly sensitive to ALAN and may therefore be a good indicator of its biological effects.

Moonlight triggers nocturnal display in a diurnal bird

The importance of nocturnal display in diurnal birds has been neglected for a long time, owing to the difficulties in recording behaviour by night. Using loggers with an accelerometer (ACC) we studied nocturnal display in male African houbara bustards, Chlamydotis undulata, ssp. fuertaventurae. Diurnal display of male houbaras consists of a visual component, the display run, and an acoustic component, the boom. Nocturnal display runs were only recorded twice, both on full moon nights. Nocturnal booming intensity was highest on full moon nights when it reached similar levels to those during peak diurnal display at dawn. The more favourable physical conditions for sound transmission and the reduced acoustic competition with wind and other birds at night have been proposed to explain nocturnal vocalizing. Minimizing copulation disruptions, a frequent intramale competition mechanism in bustards, could be an additional advantage of nocturnal display. However, these factors do not explain why vocal activity is highest on full moon nights. We suggest that moonlight may help displaying males to detect predators, as well as to communicate visually with approaching females. Moonlight also allows males to combine booms with visual signals produced by the white neck feathers exposed during booming into more efficient multimodal signals. Moonlight would thus ultimately lead to males achieving nocturnal copulations, which indeed might be more frequent than previously thought, according to rates of nocturnal ACC-recorded precopulatory movements. Finally, nocturnal booming sequences had almost twice as many booms as diurnal ones, which suggests that nocturnal vocalizations transmit higher-quality information about signalling males than diurnal vocalizations. Nocturnal booming significantly increased the total display time of male houbara bustards; thus, future studies should investigate whether nocturnal vocal activity represents an important contribution to individual fitness in this and other nocturnally vocalizing diurnal species.

RELIGIOUS MODERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF CULTURAL RESERVATION IN BANJARPANEPEN BANYUMAS

This article aims to describe cultural reservation in Banjarpanepen Banyumas which is positioned as a mode for the application of religious moderation. Field data were collected through interviews, observations and documentation and then analyzed qualitatively. The findings are (a) cultural reservation in Banjarpanepen classified in two forms, namely traditional culture such as takiran 1 sura and bathing rituals at Kali Cawang on the full moon night and arts culture such as the lumping horse (ebeg) and Banyumasan lengger; (b) the values of religious moderation that arise in the cultural reservation process in Banjarpanepen are the high level of togetherness in the community and cooperation in religious activities; and (c) the Banjarpanepen community viewed from the cultural reservation process carried out shows an inclusive religious attitude by not excluding tradition as something that is unlawful and prohibited.

Species-specific effects of moonlight on insectivorous bat activity in central Chile

Abstract Moonlight intensity influences the activity patterns of bats. Some bat species reduce their activity levels during brighter nights, a phenomenon known as “lunar phobia.” While lunar phobia of bats has been extensively studied in tropical regions, the same is not the case of bats in temperate regions. By using acoustic detectors, we examined differences in the activity of insectivorous bats on nights with different moonlight intensity in an agricultural landscape of central Chile. We also examined the hourly activity patterns throughout the night and how these varied between full and new moon nights. All bat species modified their activity based on the moonlight intensity; however, their effects were species-specific. The activity of Lasiurus varius, L. villosissimus, Myotis chiloensis, and Histiotus montanus was lower during bright nights, while Tadarida brasiliensis was the only species whose activity was higher during bright nights. Hourly activity throughout the night differed between full moon nights and new moon nights in most bat species. During full moon, bats concentrated their activities in the early hours of the nights; a more homogeneous activity pattern was exhibited during new moon night. Our study demonstrates that moonlight affects the activity of bats in Chile, a factor that should be considered when studying bats.

Drivers of artificial light at night variability in urban, rural and remote areas

Light pollution generated by the excessive use of artificial light at night is an environmental and ecological concern. Artificial light at night is diffused far from the sources, for long distances by scattering in the atmosphere (skyglow), thus affecting the night sky and the biodiversity of rural and natural areas. The characterization of the level and variability of light pollution has become an important issue for several disciplines.This study analyzes light pollution in urban, rural and remote sites in Tuscany (Italy) by monitoring night sky brightness. Night sky brightness (NSB) data collected from 2016 to 2019 were analyzed to assess annual and seasonal variability at each site and between sites. The relationship between night sky brightness and moonlight and weather conditions were also analyzed. Trend analysis was also performed to evaluate the degradation of the quality of the measurement with time due to dirty accumulation on the sensor shield.NSB in Tuscany during moonless nights ranged between 17.3 and 21.8 mpsas. The monthly cycle of moonlight is the main driver of night sky brightness variability in the remote site (21.8 mpsas on moonless nights and 18.5 mpsas on full moon nights) with a slight, but significant darkening effect during rainy conditions (22.3 mpsas). In urban sites, moonlight cycle is almost completely masked by weather conditions, as it can be seen from the analysis of seasonal variability, lunar monthly cycle analysis and weather condition analysis. Average night sky brightness on rainy days might reach 15.4 mpsas (approximately 436 times brighter than the natural background), an intensity that is even higher than average night sky brightness in full moonlight at the same site (16.6 mpsas). Light pollution can reach levels that might affect nocturnal species, and therefore the study of long term variability of light pollution is important for ecological studies.

Jolotundo As an Attraction of Local Wisdom Based Ecotourism

Tourism has now developed into one of the largest industries in various parts of the world by providing many benefits in each sector In addition this study also aims to determine whether there is an influence of the perception of tourists in the Jolotundo area as an ecotourism attraction in the village of Seloliman. Ethnography was used to conduct this study. Qualitative data related to local wisdom were obtained through several techniques. Interview and observation were used to gain the main data, while secondary data were taken from related document analysis. The result The most frequent activity of visitors to Jolotundo is at night. On certain nights, such as on the full moon night, Friday night legi , 1 muharram night, and on the night of one Suro . On that night Jolotundo was full of pilgrims, many thousands of pilgrims came to hold rituals with a specific purpose. Every day the Jolotundo temple is crowded by visitors. Many of them are carrying out activities in the temple. Every activity carried out by the community varies depending on their desires and beliefs. Some visitors who come to Petirtaan Jolotundo also have a need for recreation refreshing the mind and can also be used for study tours because the natural panorama of Petirtaan Jolotundo tourism is indeed very beautiful and cool on the western slope of Mount Penanggungan, so it also right to refresh the mind. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/lw.v12i2.4144

Influence of Moonlight on Male Mating Aggregations of Nyssomyia whitmani, a Vector of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Brazil

Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) is the sandfly vector of causative agents of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in South and Central America. It is widely spread throughout Brazil, in a close association with domestic animals. Almost nothing is known about male mating aggregations in N. whitmani, let alone the influence of moonlight on this behavior. Thus, the influence of moonlight on male N. whitmani aggregations was investigated by using non-attractant suction traps deployed in chicken cages under full moon and new moon nights. In this 18-night study, 2,160 specimens and seven species were collected. The most frequent species was N. whitmani accounting for 91.48% of the total sample. The abundance of males of N. whitmani was significantly higher in the presence than in the absence of moon. The sex ratio on new moon nights was 1:1 (M:F) and on full moon nights was male-biased (1.7:1). Based on this study, an influence of moonlight on male mating aggregations of N. whitmani was verified. The extent of this influence on increasing sandfly aggregation at hosts, the moonlight influence on the early flight activity of male sandflies and the use of chickens as aggregation sites for males of N. whitmani, are all discussed.

Flying to the moon: Lunar cycle influences trip duration and nocturnal foraging behavior of the wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica

Lunar phase and illumination are known to affect nocturnal behavior of many organisms, particularly through predator-prey interactions. Visual predators can benefit from higher light levels to increase their activity, while prey may decrease their activity to avoid predation. The lower number of nocturnal seabirds observed on colonies during full moon nights has been mostly interpreted as a predation avoidance strategy. However, it is also possible that shearwaters take advantage of the moon's illumination to feed also at night, and stay at sea to forage during full moon nights. We used miniaturized GPS-loggers to obtain 179 tracks from 99 wedge-tailed shearwaters breeding in New Caledonia, to investigate moonlight effects on individual behavior. Lunar phase significantly predicted self-provisioning trip duration, with individuals performing longer trips around the full moon. However, this relationship was not significant during chick-provisioning trips when adults have to frequently return to the colony. Adults mostly returned to the colony during moonlit periods, refuting the predation avoidance theory. Tracked individuals showed an unexpectedly high amount of nocturnal foraging activity (28% of total activity), positively influenced by the presence of the moon. δ15N stable isotope values were significantly related to the percentage of nocturnal foraging, but with a weak relationship, impeding our ability to confirm that wedge-tailed shearwaters fed on different prey when foraging at night. This study suggests that reduced colony attendance around the full moon may be linked to greater at-sea foraging opportunities in distant oceanic areas than to increased predation risk on land.

Dupont’s Lark males start to sing earlier but reduce song rate on full moon dawns

Moon phase affects the ecology and behaviour of animals and may thus affect both circadian and circannual rhythms. Its influence on nocturnal and dawn bird behaviour is known, but fewer studies have examined its effect on passerines’ singing activity, some of which have yielded contradictory findings. With the aim of elucidating whether moon phase affects dawn singing in passerines, we recorded dawn singing activity of the Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti in three mediterranean shrub-steppes, through repeated sampling over three lunar cycles per breeding season in 2 years. Our results corroborate the idea that moon phase affects signalling behaviour of passerines. We found that, on average, dawn singing started 15 min earlier when the moon was full, due to variations in the light intensity, which seems to act as a trigger for singing activity in the Dupont’s Lark. Nonetheless, the dawn chorus finished at the same time regardless of moon phase, maybe due to a low contribution of moonlight as sunrise approaches. As a consequence, performance time increased during full moon nights. However, the total production of songs did not differ between moon phases, and therefore, song rate was lower during full moons. Reduced song rate on full moon nights could be a response of singing males to reduce their predation risk, since singing on bright nights can increase the ability of predators to locate them, but it could be also related to the energetic cost of longer choruses. The consequences of moon phase for mate attraction, reproductive success and behaviour in this and other bird species remain unknown, and thus our research can serve as a starting point from which to develop new studies.