r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/The_Love-Tap • 9h ago

Video An incredible variety of moths attracted to an illuminated sheet. This technique is called light sheeting

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u/LGGP75 9h ago

So… why do moths are attracted to light?
If you take humans off the picture, there is no light at night, so why do they behave like this?

3

u/RomeoInBlackJeans1 9h ago

The moon.

1

u/LGGP75 38m ago

They don’t fly in the direction of the moon as far as I know… and the moon is not always up/visible

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u/Rolly_09 0m ago

They determine up and down from it (bright is up, dark is down). Flying towards the close source is unintentional.

6

u/Rolly_09 9h ago

İf i remember correctly part of it is they navigate with position of the sun(the shiniest source present) relative to their orientation.

Compared to sun a synthetic light source stands way closer distrupting their orientation on flight and confusing them. They kinda end up orbiting and getting closer to it.

1

u/LGGP75 39m ago

But aren’t moths nocturnal insects?

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u/Rolly_09 5m ago

You are right.. moon takes the cake.

2

u/basemunk 9h ago

Moon? Stars?

1

u/Victizes 7h ago

Fire? Lightning?

1

u/LGGP75 37m ago

But moths don’t fly in the direction of the moon… let alone the stars.
I may be wrong tho

1

u/the-software-man 20m ago

The moths fly with the moon brighter in one eye. So, on nights with a full moon, they all fly the same direction?

If they get fooled by an artificial light, they will fly in circles.