Insects may lose track of direction when flying around artificial light sources

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Insects,Artificial Light,Flying

High-speed infrared camera data suggests that insects may lose track of which way is up when they turn their backs on artificial light sources, causing them to fly in circles or dive towards the ground.

The insects flying in circles around your porch light aren’t captivated by the light. Instead, they may have lost track of which way is up, high-speed infrared camera data suggest. Moths and other insects naturally turn their backs toward light. But when insects turn their backs on artificial light sources,. The insects may lose track of where the ground is, leaving them flying in circles or diving toward the ground.

The findings are the first “satisfying answer to a long-standing phenomenon” of how moths and other insects flock to streetlamps and flames, says evolutionary biologist Florian Altermatt of the University of Zurich who was not involved with the study. “It was also interesting to see that it was an actually rather simple explanation, defying the previous, more complex ones.” Those hypotheses range from flying insects being blinded by light and becoming trapped, to insects interpreting light sources as a place to fly for a quick escap

Insects Artificial Light Flying Direction Moths Streetlamps Flames

 

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