WHY Moths ARE ENTRAPPED By LIGHT?
This National Geographic funded project uses high-speed videography and motion capture to examine how moths and insects are entrapped by light.
Publications
Why flying insects gather at artificial light? Fabian & Sondhi et al 2024, Nature Communications
Media Coverage
NYT, National Geographic,
Scientific American, NPR
Nature Video
Visual Gene Evolution
This project examines how vision genes evolve in Lepidoptera using DNA and RNA sequencing and bioinformatic tools.
Publications & Preprints
1. Light environment drives evolution of color vision genes in butterflies and moths. Sondhi et al. 2020. Communications Biology
2. Day–night gene expression reveals circadian gene disco as a candidate for diel-niche evolution in moths. Sondhi et al. 2024. Proceedings of the Royal Society B
3.Gene Family Evolution Suggests Correlated Dietary Adaptations in Butterflies and Moths. Singh et al. 2025. Genome Biology and Evolution
DIY Activity MonitoriNG
We built a low cost DIY portable locomotion activity monitor or pLAM for short. We used it to measure activity of moths under various artificial and natural light conditions in the lab and the field, but the device can be used for monitoring any behaviour even in limited light conditions by leveraging IR light and cameras.
Publications
1. Portable locomotion activity monitor (pLAM): A cost-effective setup for robust activity tracking in small animals Sondhi et al 2022. Methods of Ecology and Evolution
2. Activity Responses of Rana forreri and Rhinella horribilis Tadpoles to Predation Cues. González-Aguilar et al. 2026. Integrative and Comparative Biology
Guides & Code
OSF resources, Code, GitHub Docs
Social Media
Twitter, Raspberry Pi Foundation News
EYE CT ImAGING
We built a method to analyse compound eyes and look at facet count, size and interommatidial angle.
Publications
1. Measuring compound eye optics with microscope and microCT images Currea et al 2023. Comms. Bio
2. Superposition eyes of diurnal and nocturnal hawkmoths are imperfect spheres and lack acute zones. Sondhi et al. 2026. biorxiv
Guides & Code
Code
