Why are Moths attracted to lightbulbs?
.or bright lights in general?
Answers:
Isn't it obvious? ALL Moths are Scottish, or of Scottish origin.
They aimlessly fly around as if they're pissed, look like tramps and continually head-butt things, lightbulbs mainly.
Seriously, they navigate by the moon, artificial light just confuses the poor buggers!
Becasue they navigate by the light of the moon by going to the brightest light. which would have been fine before the invention of the electric light bulb. now they are messed right up lol
they use the moon to navigate, light bulbs etc. confuse them
While there is no definitive explanation for this phenomenon, there are some interesting theories.
Some types of moths are known to migrate, and it's possible that the night sky gives them navigational clues. A moth's up-down orientation might depend in part on the brightness of the sky relative to the ground. Some lepidopterists (moth and butterfly scientists) suggest that moths use the moon as a primary reference point and have the ability to calibrate their flight paths as the Earth's rotation causes the moon to move across the sky. (There is even evidence to support the theory that migrating moths have an internal geomagnetic compass system to guide them in the right direction.) So a moth's attraction to an artificial light or to a fire could be related to orientation, and lead to disorientation -- the moth wasn't "expecting" to actually get to "the moon" (the light source) or to be able to fly above it, so confusion results.
It's also possible that moths have an escape-route mechanism related to light. Imagine disturbing a bush-full of moths at night -- they all fly up and out of the bush, toward the sky. To a moth in danger, flying toward the light (which is usually in the sky, or at least upward) tends to be a more advantageous response than flying toward darkness (which is usually downward).
Moths are more sensitive to some wavelengths of light -- ultraviolet, for example -- than they are to others. A white light will attract more moths than a yellow light. Yellow is a wavelength moths don't respond to.
Another interesting question is: Why do moths stay at lights? A moth's eyes, like a human's eyes, contain light sensors and adjust according to the amount of light the sensors detect. In high illumination, light from each of the moth's thousands of fixed-focus lens facets is channeled to its own sensor (ommatidium). In low illumination, light from multiple lenses is channeled to the same ommatidium to increase light sensitivity. You probably experience a few moments of blindness when you turn on a bright light after your eyes have adjusted to darkness, or when you are suddenly in darkness after being in bright light. A moth's dark-adapting mechanism responds much more slowly than its light-adapting mechanism. Once the moth comes close to a bright light, it might have a hard time leaving the light since going back into the dark renders it blind for so long. In the case that the moth escapes, it won't remember the problem with flying too near the light and will probably find itself in the same predicament all over again.
Another possible explanation for why moths stay at lights is that they are mostly night-flying creatures and eventually respond to the light as they would to the sun -- by settling in for their daytime "sleep."
.
I don't know but it pisses the hell out of me when they get in the house and fly around in circles around the lights or my computer.
Moths like most flying insects navigate by assuming that the brightest light around is the sun and is above them. When humans interfere by creating artificial light either candles or light bulbs this causes the moth to fly in circles because they are constantly trying to fly perpendicular to the suns rays but as the light is coming from a light bulb that is close to them they fly a path that is an every tightening spiral towards the light bulb.
No one really knows - lots of theories out there. May be they are stupid!
its the moon
Moths navigate using the moon as a guide. For example, if the moth wanted to fly in a straight line it would keep the moon in the same relative position, say on its left. The moon being so far away will stay in exactly the same relative position if flying straight. The problem occurs when the moth thinks an artificial light is the moon. As it tries to fly in a straight line the relative position of the light moves so the moth has to turn (to the left) to keep the light in the same position. The moth has to keep turning left to try to keep the light in this position and therefore spirals in towards the light. It eventually hits the light and goes a bit mad - probably thinks its landed on the moon, reminiscing of 1969!
Oraganisms such as moths normally have phototaixs which is automatic movement of the moth or fly with respect to light towards or away from the light at an angle. Moths are positively phototactic which mean they are directed towards light source. They are guided by the light usually moon or sun at optical infinity as a result they could never reach light source but can easily navigate. Whereas lightbulbs are not at optical infinity therefore moths seem to be attracted or stay near the light in fact they get confused with the different light sources.
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Answers:
Isn't it obvious? ALL Moths are Scottish, or of Scottish origin.
They aimlessly fly around as if they're pissed, look like tramps and continually head-butt things, lightbulbs mainly.
Seriously, they navigate by the moon, artificial light just confuses the poor buggers!
Becasue they navigate by the light of the moon by going to the brightest light. which would have been fine before the invention of the electric light bulb. now they are messed right up lol
they use the moon to navigate, light bulbs etc. confuse them
While there is no definitive explanation for this phenomenon, there are some interesting theories.
Some types of moths are known to migrate, and it's possible that the night sky gives them navigational clues. A moth's up-down orientation might depend in part on the brightness of the sky relative to the ground. Some lepidopterists (moth and butterfly scientists) suggest that moths use the moon as a primary reference point and have the ability to calibrate their flight paths as the Earth's rotation causes the moon to move across the sky. (There is even evidence to support the theory that migrating moths have an internal geomagnetic compass system to guide them in the right direction.) So a moth's attraction to an artificial light or to a fire could be related to orientation, and lead to disorientation -- the moth wasn't "expecting" to actually get to "the moon" (the light source) or to be able to fly above it, so confusion results.
It's also possible that moths have an escape-route mechanism related to light. Imagine disturbing a bush-full of moths at night -- they all fly up and out of the bush, toward the sky. To a moth in danger, flying toward the light (which is usually in the sky, or at least upward) tends to be a more advantageous response than flying toward darkness (which is usually downward).
Moths are more sensitive to some wavelengths of light -- ultraviolet, for example -- than they are to others. A white light will attract more moths than a yellow light. Yellow is a wavelength moths don't respond to.
Another interesting question is: Why do moths stay at lights? A moth's eyes, like a human's eyes, contain light sensors and adjust according to the amount of light the sensors detect. In high illumination, light from each of the moth's thousands of fixed-focus lens facets is channeled to its own sensor (ommatidium). In low illumination, light from multiple lenses is channeled to the same ommatidium to increase light sensitivity. You probably experience a few moments of blindness when you turn on a bright light after your eyes have adjusted to darkness, or when you are suddenly in darkness after being in bright light. A moth's dark-adapting mechanism responds much more slowly than its light-adapting mechanism. Once the moth comes close to a bright light, it might have a hard time leaving the light since going back into the dark renders it blind for so long. In the case that the moth escapes, it won't remember the problem with flying too near the light and will probably find itself in the same predicament all over again.
Another possible explanation for why moths stay at lights is that they are mostly night-flying creatures and eventually respond to the light as they would to the sun -- by settling in for their daytime "sleep."
.
I don't know but it pisses the hell out of me when they get in the house and fly around in circles around the lights or my computer.
Moths like most flying insects navigate by assuming that the brightest light around is the sun and is above them. When humans interfere by creating artificial light either candles or light bulbs this causes the moth to fly in circles because they are constantly trying to fly perpendicular to the suns rays but as the light is coming from a light bulb that is close to them they fly a path that is an every tightening spiral towards the light bulb.
No one really knows - lots of theories out there. May be they are stupid!
its the moon
Moths navigate using the moon as a guide. For example, if the moth wanted to fly in a straight line it would keep the moon in the same relative position, say on its left. The moon being so far away will stay in exactly the same relative position if flying straight. The problem occurs when the moth thinks an artificial light is the moon. As it tries to fly in a straight line the relative position of the light moves so the moth has to turn (to the left) to keep the light in the same position. The moth has to keep turning left to try to keep the light in this position and therefore spirals in towards the light. It eventually hits the light and goes a bit mad - probably thinks its landed on the moon, reminiscing of 1969!
Oraganisms such as moths normally have phototaixs which is automatic movement of the moth or fly with respect to light towards or away from the light at an angle. Moths are positively phototactic which mean they are directed towards light source. They are guided by the light usually moon or sun at optical infinity as a result they could never reach light source but can easily navigate. Whereas lightbulbs are not at optical infinity therefore moths seem to be attracted or stay near the light in fact they get confused with the different light sources.
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