The significance of moonlight in photoperiodic responses of insects

In the tropics, the amount and the pattern of distribution of moonlight at and just after full moon produces alternating periods of continuous illumination and darkness which could provide photoperiodic cues for insects. Examples of possible photoperiodic effects induced by moonlight, taken from the published literature, include the flight activity and oviposition patterns shown by females of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and crepuscular activity of mosquitoes. It is suggested that photoperiodic responses to moonlight could form the basis for a simple method of predicting such events.