Why do moths fly into the light?

You may have noticed that in the summerIn the dark, a large number of moths and various midges of all stripes tend to fly as close as possible to a bright light bulb that immediately kills them. Usually this is very annoying, but in nature there is a very specific explanation. What caused this phenomenon of mass suicide, and why does nature need this?

Despite the fact that some butterflies prefer to be active only at night, any light source provokes them to unusual actions.

Why do insects love light so much?

Scientists have long been trying to find the answer tothis is why some insects, which are predominantly nocturnal, are literally mesmerized by some kind of light source. Forgetting their own safety, butterflies (and not only them) fly as close to the lamps and open fire as possible, describing the unusual trajectory of their flight, which was first noticed in 1917 by the scientist V. von Buddenbrock.

The researcher first described the movement of a butterfly,like a logarithmic spiral, in the center of which is a source of light and heat. In other words, attracted by light, insects do not curl randomly around a light bulb, but obeying some laws that are still unknown.

You will be wondering: Why do animals behave strangely during eclipses?

An example of what a logarithmic spiral looks like

Famous scientist of the XX century Vladimir BorisovichChernyshev expressed the theory that butterflies that lose control of their senses due to bright light experience an instinctive desire to get away from possible danger as soon as possible. Due to the fact that under normal conditions such a protective reaction is always directed towards the light, insects are lost, and, instead of flying away to a safe distance, butterflies fall into a vicious circle, continuing to fly to a lamp or fire, considering them to be the only safe zone . In addition, experiencing exactly the same feeling, insects tend to a flickering monitor and just some kind of illuminated area. Having reached the goal, the butterflies calm down and freeze, believing that the day has come and you can safely rest and not fall into the clutches of predators.

Attracted by the light, the butterfly loses control of its own safety

Well, if the lamp turns out to be too hot ... Well, we can observe the result of such an interaction between a butterfly and a bulb every summer at night.

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