Wavelength-Specific Transcriptomic Responses of Diaphorina citri to Nocturnal Monochromatic LED Light

The proliferation of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in urban and agricultural settings has intensified artificial light at night (ALAN), yet the molecular mechanisms underlying its spectrally specific perturbation of insect physiology remain elusive. We used high-throughput RNA sequencing to dissect the transcriptomic responses of Diaphorina citri-a principal vector of citrus Huanglongbing-to nocturnal exposure to monochromatic LED emissions at 460 nm (blue), 520 nm (green), 570 nm (yellow), and 620 nm (red). Blue light triggered metabolic reprogramming coupled with stress responses. Red light predominantly engaged lysosomal-autophagic pathways and lipid metabolism. Yellow and green light produced only modest transcriptional alterations with no significant pathway enrichment. These results demonstrate that D. citri exhibits a markedly wavelength-dependent transcriptomic response to nocturnal monochromatic illumination, with short-wavelength blue and long-wavelength red light eliciting pronounced physiological effects through distinct molecular routes, thereby providing mechanistic insight into wavelength-specific ALAN impacts and a rationale for targeted optical pest management strategies.