2007-01-03 03:36:05 · 8 answers · asked by kangaroo 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
What moths have never figured out is why there is any light at all at night. They evolved to follow natural sunlight, which is what they still do during the daytime. At night they should just chill out.
But with the advent of artificial light, they don't know the difference, so they fly to that. Their natural flight rhythm during the day is a spiral across the sky to follow the sun.
They never quite reach the sun of course.
But when they try the same spiral around an artificial light, they eventually come in contact with it, and toast themselves.
Good question.
2007-01-03 03:44:49 · answer #1 · answered by Lorenzo Steed 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Moths don't like the daylight because they are nocturnal the only reason they come towards the light is because they don't see it at night. Unlike the butterfly that spends all of it life during the day as the moth spends its life at night.
2007-01-03 03:41:18 · answer #2 · answered by dadan1687 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Okay, I'm not a scientist, but don't we see moths out all day? Maybe we just notice them more at night because they are flapping around the light sources, they far outnumber butterflies.
I'm thinking they don't sleep much in their short lives and that they are not "nocturnal".
2007-01-03 03:47:18 · answer #3 · answered by LoneStarLou 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It`s a myth that moths are attracted to gentle. They use the moon to navigate, so while they see a extraordinary gentle they mistake it for the moon. it somewhat is the reason they experience that they are circling the `moon` and get perplexed approximately which course to take. desire this solutions your question o.ok.
2016-11-26 00:43:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a guess--Could it be they are nocturnal and are attracted to the light for heat? Wish I knew for sure, I will be watching this question. It is interesting! Gets my vote.
2007-01-03 03:41:08 · answer #5 · answered by JAN 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Lorenzo Steed steed is right - I listened to Richard Dawkins explaining it in much the same way in a podcast recently.
2007-01-03 03:49:46 · answer #6 · answered by bad_sector 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its not that they are obsessed with light, the reason they gravitate towards lights at night is because they are supposed to fly towards the moon at night, and when they see other lights on, it confuses them, so they head towards any kind of light.
2007-01-03 04:01:23 · answer #7 · answered by tweetybird37406 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it actually has more to do with navigation and the moon than it does light.. check this out..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moth
scroll down to "attraction to light" it will explain everything.
2007-01-03 03:42:41 · answer #8 · answered by Fluffington Cuddlebutts 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋