Unexpected Attraction of Polarotactic Water-Leaving Insects to Matt Black Car Surfaces: Mattness of Paintwork Cannot Eliminate the Polarized Light Pollution of Black Cars
Figure 1
Mayflies attracted en masse to shiny black cars due to the highly and horizontally polarized light reflected from the car-body.
(A, B) Mass-swarming Ephemerella hendrickson. (C) Egg-laying Ephemera danica. (D) Thousands of mass-swarming female Ephoron virgo mayflies landed on a windscreen, onto which they laid their yellow egg batches. Photos A and B were taken by Dr. Rebecca Allen (Michigan State University, USA), while photos C and D originate from Dr. György Kriska (Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary).