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Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences pp 443–513Cite as

Anthropogenic Polarization and Polarized Light Pollution Inducing Polarized Ecological Traps

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Part of the book series: Springer Series in Vision Research ((SSVR,volume 2))

Abstract

In the last decade it has been recognized that the artificial polarization of light can have uniquely disruptive effects on animals capable of seeing it and has led to the identification of polarized light pollution (PLP) as a new kind of ecological photopollution. In this chapter we review some typical examples for PLP and the resulting polarized ecological traps. All such polarized-light-polluting artificial surfaces are characterized by strongly and horizontally polarized reflected light attracting positively polarotactic aquatic insects, the larvae of which develop in water or mud, such as aquatic beetles (Coleoptera), water bugs (Heteroptera), dragonflies (Odonata), mayflies (Ephemeroptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera) and tabanid flies (Tabanidae), for example. We survey here the PLP of asphalt surfaces, solar panels, agricultural black plastic sheets, glass surfaces, black gravestones and the paintwork of black-, red- and dark-coloured cars. We show how the maladaptive attractiveness (PLP) of certain artificial surfaces to polarotactic insects can be reduced or eliminated. We consider how birds, spiders and bats exploit polarotactic insects trapped by different sources of PLP. We deal with the phenomenon that the vertically polarized mirror image of bridges seen at the river surface can deceive swarming polarotactic mayflies, which is an atypical kind of PLP. We explain why strongly polarizing black burnt-up stubble fields do not attract aquatic insects, which is an example for a horizontal, black polarizing surface that does not induce PLP and thus is an exception proving the rule. Finally, we show that phototaxis and polarotaxis together have a more harmful effect on the dispersal flight of night-active aquatic insects than they would have separately. This provides experimental evidence for the synergistic interaction of phototaxis and polarotaxis in these insects.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Optics Laboratory, Department of Biological Physics, Physical Institute, Eötvös University, Pázmány sétány 1, 1117, Budapest, Hungary

    Gábor Horváth

  2. Group for Methodology in Biology Teaching, Biological Institute, Eötvös University, Pázmány sétány 1, 1117, Budapest, Hungary

    György Kriska

  3. Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Karolina u’t 29, 1113, Budapest, Hungary

    György Kriska

  4. Division of Science, Mathematics and Computing, Bard College, 30 Campus Drive, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, 23504, USA

    Bruce Robertson

Authors
  1. Gábor Horváth
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  2. György Kriska
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  3. Bruce Robertson
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Correspondence to Gábor Horváth .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Optics Laboratory, Dept. Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary

    Gábor Horváth

1 Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary figures and 10 video clips are available in the online version of this chapter. The videos can also be accessed at http://www.springerimages.com/videos/ <ISBN print>.

Colour Version of Fig. 20.1

Two typical examples for polarized light pollution. (a) Mayflies attracted to a shiny black car (photograph: courtesy of Rebecca Allen). (b) Mayflies landed on a vertical glass pane (photograph: courtesy of Will Milne) (CDR 2103 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.4

Polarotactic aquatic insects and insects associated with water deceived by and attracted to different sources of polarized light pollution (photographs taken by György Kriska). Row 1: Some typical representatives of insects trapped by a crude oil lake in the desert of Kuwait (a), and a waste oil lake in Budapest, Hungary (b–d). (a) Hawker dragonfly (Aeschnidae) (courtesy of Jochen Zeil). (b) An emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) and scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae). (c) A mayfly (Cloeon dipterum). (d) A great silver diving beetle (Hydrophilus piceus). Row 2: Water insects landed on horizontal shiny black dry plastic sheets used in agriculture. (e) A female large stonefly (Perla abdominalis). (f) A tabanid fly (Tabanidae). (g) Copulating mayflies (Rhithrogena semicolorata). (h) A female mayfly (Ephemera danica) laying her eggs on the black plastic sheet. Row 3: (i) Mass swarming of Hydropsyche pellucidula caddisflies (white spots) in front of the vertical glass surfaces of a building on the bank of the river Danube in Budapest. (j) A H. pellucidula landed on a pane of glass. (k) A copulating pair of H. pellucidula on a glass pane. (l) A male dragonfly (Sympetrum sp.) perching near a polished black tombstone. Row 4: Insects associated with water on the dry roof of a red car. (m) A mayfly (Heptageniidae). (n) A water bug (Sigara striata). (o) A scavenger beetle (Hydrochara caraboides). (p) A tabanid fly (Tabanidae). Row 5: Aquatic insects landed on dry asphalt roads. (q) A male mayfly (Epeorus silvicola). (r) Copulating mayflies (Rhithrogena semicolorata). (s) Oviposition by a female large stonefly (Perla abdominalis), whose black egg batch at the tip of her abdomen is shown by the tip of a white arrow. (t) A great silver diving beetle (Hydrophilus piceus) (CDR 4893 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.5

Predators feeding on the polarotactic insects attracted to two different sources of polarized light pollution (photographs taken by György Kriska and Gábor Horváth). Rows 1–2: Urban birds feeding on the mass-swarming caddisflies, Hydropsyche pellucidula attracted to vertical glass surfaces. a–b: A male house sparrow (Passer domesticus) hunting caddisflies at a window. c: A great tit (Parus major) standing on a window frame. d: A P. major following caddisflies with attention. e: A European magpie (Pica pica) on an edge of a building. f: A P. pica on wing capturing caddisflies from a glass pane. g: A white wagtail (Motacilla alba) perching on a protrusion of a building. h: A hovering wagtail gathering caddisflies from a glass pane. Row 3: Spiders on the wall of a building where caddisflies (H. pellucidula) swarmed. i: An Araneus umbraticus feeding on a caddisfly captured by its cobweb. j: A long jawed spider (Tetragnathidae) on a brick. k: A crab spider (Thomisidae) between two bricks. l: A jumping spider (Salticus zebraneus) on a brick. Row 4: Carcasses of insectivorous vertebrates lured by polarotactic insects and trapped by the waste oil lake in Budapest. The insects were attracted to the polarized-light-polluting oil surface. m: A black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). n: A European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis). o: A yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella). p: A flock of European greenfinches (Carduelis chloris). q: A European magpie (Pica pica). r: A bat (Chiroptera). s: A long-eared owl (Asio otus). t: A kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) (CDR 4918 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.6

Examples of aquatic insects attracted to and landed on a dry asphalt road in the immediate vicinity of a mountain creek near Budapest, Hungary in June 1997 (a–c) and 2008 (d–i). (a) A male Rhithrogena semicolorata mayfly. (b) A female Epeorus silvicola mayfly. (c) A female and two male Epeorus silvicola attempting to mate. (d) A male Epeorus silvicola. (e) A male Ephemera danica mayfly. (f) A female Perla abdominalis stonefly. (g–i) Carcasses of female Perla abdominalis run over by cars [after Fig. 1 on page 2 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 7089 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.11

Schematic representation of the directions of polarization (double-headed arrows) of light reflected from a sunlit dry asphalt road for three different solar directions [after Fig. 13 on page 28 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 654 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.12

Schematic representation of the directions of polarization (double-headed arrows) of skylight/sunlight reflected from shady/sunlit regions of a dry asphalt road [after Fig. 14 on page 29 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 3007 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.15

Polarotactic aquatic insects attracted to and landed on the shiny black surface of horizontal solar panels. (a) Adult female stonefly (Perla abdominalis). (b) Female mayfly (Rhithrogena semicolorata) with a white egg batch on the end of her abdomen. (c) A dolichopodid fly (Dolichopodidae). (d) Female mayflies (Ephemera danica), the elongated white egg batches of which laid onto the panel are clearly seen. (e, f) Tabanid flies (Tabanidae) landed on a homogeneous black solar panel (e) and a white-gridded solar panel (f) [after Supplementary Fig. S1 of Horváth et al. (2010b)] (CDR 2709 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.19

The use of strongly and horizontally polarizing, shiny black plastic sheets on several hectares became widespread in agriculture, especially in the modern raised-bed technology of strawberry production (CDR 1456 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.20

(a, b) Laying a black and a white plastic sheet (600 m2) onto the ground in the field experiment of Bernáth et al. (2008). (c, d) The plastic sheets were pinned down by bricks on their edges and restretched regularly. Their surface imitated the polarized light signature of a dark and bright water body (CDR 876 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.21

Behaviour of wagtails (Motacilla alba and M. flava) on the plastic sheets used in the field experiments of Bernáth et al. (2008). (a) Wagtails gathered on the plastic sheets even in the very first evening of their deployment. (b) Birds fed in flocks, aggressive behaviour was rarely observed even if birds approached each other nearer than 1 m. (c) In the first days the birds preferred to sit on the bricks spinning down the edge of the sheets, and they frequently flew over the sheets. Later on they walked on the plastic surface (d) chasing (e) and picking (f) small insects attracted to and flying over the plastic (CDR 2335 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.25

(a) Mass swarming of Hydropsyche pellucidula caddisflies (white spots) in front of the vertical glass panes of a building of the Eötvös University in Budapest on 1 May 2007. (b) Numerous individuals of H. pellucidula (black spots) landed on the glass panes [after Fig. 1 on page 462 of Kriska et al. (2008)] (CDR 3525 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.26

(a) A Hydropsyche pellucidula landed on the outside surface of a glass window and photographed from inside a room. (b) A copulating pair of H. pellucidula on the outside of a glass pane and photographed from inside. (c) Adult H. pellucidula landed on the inside surface of a window (the picture is rotated by 90°). (d) Numerous carcasses of H. pellucidula trapped by a partly open tiltable window [after Fig. 2 on page 464 of Kriska et al. (2008)]. (e) Light micrograph of some freshly laid eggs of H. pellucidula. (f) Light micrograph of some dried-out eggs of H. pellucidula (CDR 5204 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.32

(a) Hovering white wagtail (Motacilla alba) catching caddisflies from a window. (b) House sparrow (Passer domesticus) capturing caddisflies from a vertical glass surface. (c) Great tit (Parus major) standing on a window’s edge and catching caddisflies. (d) European magpie (Pica pica) on wing capturing landed caddisflies from a window [after Fig. 2 on page 287 of Robertson et al. (2010)] (CDR 3910 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.34

(a, b) Male and female Sympetrum dragonflies perching on the tips of sunlit iron railings in a cemetery in the Hungarian town Kiskunhalas. (c–e) Male Sympetrum dragonflies perching near polished black tombstones. (f) A female Sympetrum dragonfly displaying touching behaviour at the shiny black plastic sheet used in the double-choice experiments of Horváth et al. (2007). The photo shows the brief moment when the female touches the test surface with her legs and ventral body side [after Fig. 1 on page 1703 of Horváth et al. (2007)] (CDR 9238 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.36

Insects associated with water landing on the roof of a red car. (a) A male mayfly (Baetis sp.) (b) Another mayfly (Epeorus silvicola) (c) A scavenger beetle (Hydrochara caraboides). (d) A water bug (Sigara striata). The insects were observed and photographed in April and May of 2005 in Hungary on the roof of the same red car [after Fig. 1 on page 1668 of Kriska et al. (2006a)] (CDR 1822 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.42

A territorial male Libellula depressa perching on the tip of the radio antenna of a dark-green car parked by a vineyard. The body axis is held parallel to the steeply incident sun rays, thus minimizing heating of the body. The colour of the car roof is not clearly visible because the sky and the nearby surroundings are mirrored at the shiny surface [after Fig. 1 on page 98 of Wildermuth and Horváth (2005)] (CDR 3847 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.43

(a) Aerial photograph of the bridge over river Tisza at the village Tivadar (http://maps.google.com/maps). (b) The bridge photographed from the left bank of Tisza. Arrows show flow direction. (c) Palingenia longicauda mayflies (marked by bright dots for visibility) at the downstream side of the bridge. The curved arrow shows the typical turning-back flight. (d) The asphalt road on the bridge. (e) Mayflies (bright dots) at the upstream side of the bridge. The straight arrow shows the typical horizontal flight. (f, g) Egg-laying Palingenia longicauda on the dry (f) and wet (g) asphalt road of the bridge [after Fig. 1 on page 825 of Málnás et al. (2011)] (CDR 1484 kb)

Colour Version of Fig. 20.47

A Hungarian stubble field near Balatonszemes (46° 82′ N, 17° 78′ E) prior to burning (a), during burning (b) and after burning (c). (d) Black ash of the burnt-up stubble field [after Fig. 1 on page 4383 of Kriska et al. (2006b)] (CDR 4129 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.1

Colour picture and patterns of the intensity I, degree of linear polarization d and angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical) of light reflected from a sunlit, partly shady, dry asphalt road measured in the red (650 nm), green (550 nm) and blue (450 nm) parts of the spectrum by imaging polarimetry. The polarimeter viewed towards the solar meridian, and the angle of elevation of its optical axis was −35° from the horizontal. In the bottom row double-headed arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light [after Fig. 4 on page 14 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 1140 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.2

Reflection-polarization patterns of a sunlit dry asphalt surface from four different directions of view relative to the solar meridian measured in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum. The angle of elevation of the polarimeter’s optical ‘axis was −35° from the horizontal. In the lowermost row double-headed arrows show the local direction’ of polarization of reflected light. (a) Viewing towards the solar meridian (SM). (b) Viewing clockwise perpendicularly to the solar meridian (PSM) with sun at the left hand side with 45° solar elevation. (c) Viewing towards the antisolar meridian (ASM). (d) Viewing anticlockwise perpendicularly to the solar meridian (PSM) with sun at the right hand side at 45° solar elevation [after Fig. 5 on page 17 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 1787 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.3

Reflection-polarization patterns of a dry asphalt surface when it was lit by streetlamps (a) and sunlight (b) measured in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum. The polarimeter viewed towards the source of light (streetlamp, sun) and the angle of elevation of its optical axis was −20° from the horizontal. In the lowermost row doubleheaded arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light [after Fig. 7 on page 19 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 926 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.4

Reflection-polarization patterns of an asphalt road with patches of smooth and rough surface measured in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum. The angle of elevation of the polarimeter’s optical axis was −35° from the horizontal, and the asphalt was illuminated by skylight at sunset. In the lowermost row double-headed arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light [after Fig. 10 on page 23 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 500 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.5

Reflection-polarization patterns of four different asphalt surfaces under overcast skies measured in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum. The angle of elevation of the polarimeter’s optical axis was −35° (a) and −20° (b–d) from the horizontal. In the lowermost row white bars show the local direction of polarization of reflected light. (a) A wet asphalt surface with two different white-black chequered patterns. (b) A wet light grey asphalt road with a wet dark grey sidewalk. (c) As b, but here both asphalt surfaces were dry. (d) A dry patchy asphalt road with four different surface characteristics: rr: rough and reddish, rw: rough and white, rg: rough and grey, sb: shiny and black [after Fig. 12 on page 25 of Horváth et al. (2010a)] (CDR 6433 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.6

Photographs and reflection-polarization patterns of the shiny black (sb) plastic sheet (2 m × 2 m; other surfaces 80 cm × 60 cm), white-framed photovoltaic solar cells (pv-w), black-framed photovoltaic solar cells (pv-b), shiny black plastic sheet (sb), and dry asphalt (da) measured in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum after sunset and used in the experiments of Horváth et al. (2010b). In the α-patterns double-headed arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light. The polarimeter viewed towards the antisolar meridian and the angle of elevation of its optical axis was −35° from the horizontal [after Fig. 1 on page 1646 of Horváth et al. (2010b)] (CDR 1751 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.7

Photographs and reflection-polarization patterns of photovoltaic solar panels composed of small homogeneous shiny black rectangular solar cells with narrow white margins viewed from front and below (a), and from right (b). In the α-patterns doubleheaded arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light [after Supplementary Fig. S3 of Horváth et al. (2010b)] (CDR 1007 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.8

Photographs and reflection-polarization patterns of solar collectors in the garden of the Szent István University in Gödöllő, Hungary viewed from three different directions of view: from right (a), from front (b), from left (c). In the d-patterns of columns b and c it can be seen that the wire-grid of the fence reflects practically unpolarized light. In the α-patterns double-headed arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light [after Supplementary Fig. S4 of Horváth et al. (2010b)] (CDR 3017 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.9

Photographs and reflection-polarization patterns of a shiny black (sb) plastic sheet (a), horizontal matte black (mb) cloth (b), and matte white (mw) cloth (c) used in the experiments of Horváth et al. (2010b). The test surfaces were laid on a dry asphalt road (da), and the scene was illuminated by skylight after sunset. In the α-patterns double-headed arrows show the local direction of polarization of reflected light. The polarimeter viewed towards the antisolar meridian, and the angle of elevation of its optical axis was −35° from the horizontal [after Supplementary Fig. S5 of Horváth et al. (2010b)] (CDR 1482 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.10

Photograph and patterns of the intensity I, degree of linear polarization d and angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical) of the northern building of the Eötvös University in Budapest (Hungary) measured by imaging polarimetry in the red, green and blue parts of the spectrum. The double headed arrows in the α-patterns show the local directions of polarization [after Fig. 3 on page 464 of Kriska et al. (2008)] (CDR 902 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.11

Colour photograph (a), and patterns of the degree of linear polarization d (b), and the angle of polarization α (c, d) of a shady black vertical glass surface measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the blue (450 nm) part of the spectrum under a cloudless, clear, blue sky. Angle α of reflected light is measured clockwise from the vertical (c), or from the local meridian passing through the point observed (d). (e) Area (black) of the vertical glass surface detected as water by a hypothetical polarotactic aquatic insect flying perpendicularly to the glass. (f) Area (black) of the vertical glass surface detected as water by a hypothetical polarotactic insect landed on the glass. The insect was assumed to consider a surface as water, if the reflected light has the following polarization characteristics: d > 10 % and 85° < α < 95°. It was also assumed that the insect’s entire eye is polarization sensitive. In the circular patterns b–f the Brewster angle is shown by circles. The horizontal optical axis of the polarimeter passes through the centre of a given circular pattern, the perimeter of which represents angles of view perpendicular to the optical axis [after Fig. 5 on page 4366 of Malik et al. (2008)] (CDR 2743 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.12

As Supplementary Fig. 20.11 for a shady vertical glass pane of a window, behind which there is a white curtain. The sky was clear, blue, cloudless [after Fig. 7 on page 4367 of Malik et al. (2008)] (CDR 2626 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.13

Reflection-polarization characteristics of concrete gravestones with horizontal, polished, black name-plates (two in the middle and one in the top right corner) measured by imaging polarimetry in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum. The tombstones were in shadow and illuminated by downwelling skylight. The angle of elevation 6 of the optical axis of the polarimeter was −30° with respect to the horizontal [after Fig. 2 on page 1704 of Horváth et al. (2007)] (CDR 627 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.14

As Supplementary Fig. 20.13 for a sunlit black polished gravestone in vertical position with its frontal side in shade and illuminated by the light from the clear sky [after Fig. 4 on page 1705 of Horváth et al. (2007)] (CDR 621 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 20.15

Photographs and patterns of the degree of linear polarization d and the angle of polarization α (clockwise from the vertical) of a Hungarian burnt-up stubblefield measured by imaging polarimetry under a clear sky in sunshine in the green (550 nm) part of the spectrum when the direction of view of the polarimeter was towards the solar meridian (SM), antisolar meridian (ASM) and perpendicular to the solar meridian (PSM). The elevation angle of the optical axis of the polarimeter was −30° from the horizontal. Doubleheaded arrows show the local direction of polarization of ash-reflected light (CDR 1951 kb)

Video Clip 20.1

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal shiny black surface. Typical water-touching behaviour of a male Sympetrum dragonfly at the black test surface in a cemetery in Kiskunhalas (Hungary) on 11 July 2006 (copyright holders: Dr. Gábor Horváth and Loránd Horváth) (AVI 22840 kb)

Video Clip 20.2

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal shiny black surface. Landing of a female Sympetrum dragonfly on the black test surface in a cemetery in Kiskunhalas (Hungary) on 11 July 2006 (copyright holders: Dr. Gábor Horváth and Loránd Horváth) (AVI 14854 kb)

Video Clip 20.3

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal shiny black surface. Water-touching behaviour of a female Sympetrum dragonfly at the black test surface in a cemetery in Kiskunhalas (Hungary) on 11 July 2006 (copyright holders: Dr. Gábor Horváth and Loránd Horváth) (AVI 10280 kb)

Video Clip 20.4

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal shiny black surface. Water-touching behaviour of a male Sympetrum dragonfly at the black test surface in a cemetery in Kiskunhalas (Hungary) on 11 July 2006 (copyright holders: Dr. Gábor Horváth and Loránd Horváth) (AVI 22836 kb)

Video Clip 20.5

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal shiny black surface. Water-touching behaviour of an Anax imperator dragonfly at the black test surface in a cemetery in Kiskunhalas (Hungary) on 11 July 2006 (copyright holders: Dr. Gábor Horváth and Loránd Horváth) (AVI 82188 kb)

Video Clip 20.6

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal shiny black surface. Egg laying by a female Libellula depressa dragonfly onto the black test surface at a horse farm in Szokolya (Hungary) in July 2013 (copyright holder: Dr. Tamás Herczeg) (AVI 95790 kb)

Video Clip 20.7

Demonstration of polarized light pollution induced by a strongly and horizontally polarizing horizontal matte grey surface. Egg laying by a female Libellula depressa dragonfly onto the matte grey test surface at a horse farm in Szokolya (Hungary) in July 2013 (copyright holder: Dr. Tamás Herczeg) (AVI 35749 kb)

Video Clip 20.8

Patterns of the intensity I (top left), degree of linear polarization p (top right) and angle of polarization α (botton left) of a rotating white (left) and black (right) chessman (knight) on a chessboard measured by imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm) spectral range. The higher the p-value, the darker the grey shade (white: p = 0 %, black: p = 100 %). Vertical and horizontal polarization of reflected light is coded by red and green colours, respectively. Bottom right: frequency of α (top, 0° ≤ α ≤ 180°) and p (bottom, 0 % ≤ p ≤ 100 %) calculated for the whole picture. The white and black chessman demonstrates the lack and the existence of polarized light pollution of an unpolarizing and a strongly polarizing shiny white and shiny black man-made object, respectively (copyright holders: Dr. István Pomozi and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (AVI 1984 kb)

Video Clip 20.9

Typical turning-back flight of Palingenia longicauda mayflies at the downstream side of a bridge over river Tisza at the village Tivadar prior to sunset on 25 June 2009 observed and described by Málnás et al. (2011). The flying polarotactic mayflies turn back because of the vertically polarized mirror image of the bridge perceived on the river surface. This vertically polarized signal means the interruption of the water surface (imitating the shoreline) for polarotactic mayflies (copyright holders: Dr. György Kriska and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (MPG 4928 kb)

Video Clip 20.10

As Video Clip 20.9 at close range (copyright holders: Dr. György Kriska and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (MPG 6080 kb)

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Horváth, G., Kriska, G., Robertson, B. (2014). Anthropogenic Polarization and Polarized Light Pollution Inducing Polarized Ecological Traps. In: Horváth, G. (eds) Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences. Springer Series in Vision Research, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54718-8_20

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