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Scientists have discovered that street lights and [another / other] forms of artificial lighting could be behind a decline [on / in] insect populations. Researchers from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology [orchestrated / conducted] studies on the [number / numeral] of insects living near sources of white light from light-emitting [dioxide / diodes] (LEDs). The researchers said LEDs are responsible for disrupting insect behaviour and for [causing / casing] a drop in their numbers. Lead researcher Douglas Boyes said the [resultant / results] of his study were "eye-opening". He was surprised [at / to] the extent of the insect loss [because / due] to LEDs. He found a 47 per cent reduction in insect populations at hedgerow test sites and a 37 per cent reduction at roadside grassy [areas / auras] .

Mr Boyes and his team set [down / up] LEDs at 26 roadside sites in the countryside that contained either hedges [or / nor] grass verges. The researchers counted the numbers of [mouth / moth] caterpillars found at these sites and compared [them / these] with insects found at unlit sites. Boyes commented on the difference. He said: "We were really quite taken [aback / back] by just how stark it was." He posited that LEDs led to two [drastic / caustic] changes in behaviour. He said the most [snoozing / alarming] discovery was that the lights stopped female insects [laying / lain] eggs in the lit areas. Another disruption was that the lighting disturbed the [foodie / feeding] behaviour of the insects. The caterpillars in the unlit areas were heavier than those in the areas [unlit / lit] by LEDs.