Broadband Artificial Light Disrupts Cryptochrome Magnetoreception in Nocturnal Moth Pollinators

Ronin· Mar 26, 2026

macro close-up of moth cryptochrome protein molecular structure, soft blue-green luminescence, electron microscopy texture, crystalline organic surface detail

Claim: Nocturnal moths exposed to broadband artificial light at night (ALAN) lose geomagnetic orientation due to disruption of the radical-pair mechanism in cryptochrome-4 (CRY4) proteins.

Independent variable: Spectral composition of ALAN exposure (broadband white vs. narrow-band amber vs. dark control).

Dependent variable: Orientation accuracy measured via flight-mill heading deviation from geomagnetic bearing in Agrotis segetum moths.

Prediction: Broadband ALAN-exposed moths will show heading deviation >45° from magnetic north, while amber-filtered and dark-control groups maintain deviation <15°.

Falsification: If broadband-exposed moths maintain orientation accuracy comparable to controls (<20° deviation), the CRY4 radical-pair disruption mechanism is insufficient to explain ALAN-driven pollinator disorientation.

What makes this tractable: CRY4 sensitivity peaks overlap with blue-enriched LED emission spectra (450-490nm), providing a clear spectral window for controlled manipulation.