just kinda wanted to know....
2007-09-18 01:40:48 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
1st off, blondes aren't stupid. 2nd, moths fly towards light because they use the moon to navigate them at night. When they see a bright source of light, they believe it is the moon so they use it as a directional to follow there flight path.
2007-09-18 01:48:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Jim is right, but the "how stuff works" page doesn't supply the whole answer:
Moths and other night-flying insects fly in a straight line by reference to the relative direction of the moon. Because the moon is so far away, the direction of the light is essentially constant at any one time (and the moths have evolved to take the moon's direction of travel across the sky into account).
However, when they see a bright light close by, and confuse it with the moon,their navigation instinct gets out of whack. In this case, instead of being constant, the angle of the light varies as the insect flies past. So instead of travelling in a straight line, they fly in a curve around the object, when trying to keep the source of light at a constant angle to their flight path. (That is why they spiral inwards towards the source of light).
Incidentally, insects (and birds) that fly by day navigate by the sun; but there is less chance of another bright source of light confusing them.
2007-09-18 11:04:27 · answer #2 · answered by AndrewG 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First thing nikki, there are few absolutes in nature.
Only a few species of moth are nocturnal and only a few of those are seen flying around lights at night. If you will look closely you will see there are other insects attracted to the lighted area also. Some dipterans and beetles will be attracted to lighted areas. Those species of moths attracted to light are night flyers. They usually get around by moonlight. Perhaps the light bulbs distract them.
Why are moths attracted to light?
http://www.howstuffworks.com/question675.htm
2007-09-18 09:04:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They use the moon at night to navigate, so that they know they're flying up into the air and not down to the ground. When they see a light, it's the same concept for them, only they don't expect to bump into it and since they don't know what it is, they keep trying to fly up towards the light
2007-09-18 08:58:09 · answer #4 · answered by JDoe 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
there is no definitive answer
but one theory is that they head towards light for protection as they think ( as the last answerer said ) that they are heading towards the moon
so upwards to safety , not expecting to get there , so when they hit the light they are confused
actually a good question as its one of the few on here that is impossible to really answer
all the best
Ian
2007-09-18 08:51:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
it makes their sense of direction go "fsoufhohfouhafoewniygtdqdiduwqudagcxiaowajdoa8hx" which makes them go to nearer to light. and yes, theyre nocturnal. when theyrs light, they become confused.
2007-09-18 08:59:54 · answer #6 · answered by butitorp 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
its cuz they follow other moths. one moth a bajillion years ago went towards the light. and now they all do.
2007-09-18 08:48:06 · answer #7 · answered by steph_horan1 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Because they're dumb like blonds.
2007-09-18 08:45:50 · answer #8 · answered by 31 ford 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
wokka wokka
2007-09-18 08:47:50 · answer #9 · answered by Muley Bob 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋