Why do insects fly towards the light?

[desert.snake]

An interesting article, perhaps this is due to the fact that the light breaks their navigation system in flight))

While this article is being prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a preview version can be read here:

Why flying insects gather at artificial light

For millennia, humans have watched nocturnal insects flying erratically around fires and lamps. Explanations have included theories of “lunar navigation” and “escape to light”. However, without three-dimensional flight data to test them rigorously, this odd behaviour has remained unexplained. We...

www.biorxiv.org

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Interesting

 

[SCEMan]

I'm always amazed that moths invariably fly into my fire pit flames. Great entertainment!

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

Arriving home last night and seeing all the bugs spending their lives buzzing around our porch light I had to laugh and think - stupid bugs!

Then I went inside and watched TV for the rest of the evening. 😁

 

[raggie33]

I just assumed there all over we just have the ability to see them in the light. But I'm not the sharpest spoon in the shed

 

[GadgetGeek]

I'm always amazed that moths invariably fly into my fire pit flames. Great entertainment!

Same with mosquitoes attracted to my electric light bug zapper!

 

[bykfixer]

I tried to read the article but all of those big words just caused me to become bored. Bottom line is nobody knows why instects fly towards the light.

You'll have to ask them why they do it.

 

[raggie33]

some where in the insect world they have a forum and they asking why do them hairless apes walk around with portable lights

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Successful flying insects of the past chose to keep light above themselves; kind of like how we like to be on the sunny side of the grass.

Bugs have not quite figured out humans using light sources. They fly around porch lights with their backs to the source. That's what I got.

 

[jabe1]

I heard a discussion of this article on the radio a few days ago. Fascinating, but I still don't see why they seem to go towards a light source in the first place.

 

[Dave_H]

Arriving home last night and seeing all the bugs spending their lives buzzing around our porch light I had to laugh and think - stupid bugs!

Then I went inside and watched TV for the rest of the evening. 😁

Why do they...so they can be featured in Far Side cartoons...?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/the-fergusons-porch-light--112097478203410640/

Dave

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

Why do they...so they can be featured in Far Side cartoons...?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/the-fergusons-porch-light--112097478203410640/

Dave

He L@@Ks like he flew too close to the Ferguson's Bug Zapper. 😁

 

[TPA]

I did try this one night... I had a moth flying around the house and bothering me, so I lit a single candle in the middle of the room and sure enough, after awhile the moth went into the flame.

 

[GadgetGeek]

I love my bug light zapper in the summertime.

 

[Monocrom]

I heard a discussion of this article on the radio a few days ago. Fascinating, but I still don't see why they seem to go towards a light source in the first place.

Well, when we have suffered a terrible physical trauma, we too go towards the very large bright light that we see.

 

[TPA]

I love my bug light zapper in the summertime.

I miss having somewhere to hang a bug zapper! I loved that beautiful purple-blue glow and the zzzzAP!!! We had one in the backyard when I was a kid.