When the day ends: Review on the importance of nocturnal moths as pollinators in tropical ecosystems

Abstract Despite the tropics harbouring tremendous diversity of species and interspecific interactions, tropical moths as pollinators remain understudied. This review synthesises the available knowledge on the role of nocturnal moths in pollination and their importance in tropical ecosystems. It identifies significant research gaps, methodological challenges, and geographical biases, offering cues for future research. Moths represent crucial pollinators for numerous tropical plants across more than 25 families. In tropical communities, plants with sphingophilous and phalaenophilous flowers account for 4% to 13%, while moth-pollinated plants represent up to 20% of species, highlighting their ecological significance. Current knowledge shows biases and constraints stemming from the challenges of nocturnal research, such as complex moth behaviour, observational difficulties, and equipment limitations in tropical areas. Future research should broaden sampling in understudied tropical ecosystems and combine advanced technologies like video recordings, AI-driven identification, and pollen metabarcoding with detailed studies of nocturnal pollinators’ effectiveness in selected pollination systems. Moreover, such studies should integrate generalised pollination systems and community-level approaches to gather comprehensive datasets on nocturnal pollinators in the tropics. Filling these gaps is critical to understanding moths’ ecological and evolutionary roles, particularly in the context of the changing climate.