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miriam_eYou know, many people think that moths are attracted to lights at night. Heck! It is even in the popular literature: "Like a moth to the flame."
But that's wrong.
Moths use the moon (and probably bright stars too) to navigate at night. They do so by keeping the light at a particular angle to their flight. Using a very distant object like the moon for this means they fly over long distances in what is effectively a straight line (when you average out all the little twists and turns they use to throw off bats).
Now replace that distant light with a closer one and what happens? About half of the time, moths will want to keep the light at an obtuse angle with respect to their line of travel. These moths will spiral away from the light. The other half of the time moths will attempt to keep the light at an acute angle with respect to the intended direction. These moths will spiral in toward the light which, if it is a candle, will spell disaster... which is kinda ironic: disaster came from the Latin meaning ill star (dis + astro).
But that's wrong.
Moths use the moon (and probably bright stars too) to navigate at night. They do so by keeping the light at a particular angle to their flight. Using a very distant object like the moon for this means they fly over long distances in what is effectively a straight line (when you average out all the little twists and turns they use to throw off bats).
Now replace that distant light with a closer one and what happens? About half of the time, moths will want to keep the light at an obtuse angle with respect to their line of travel. These moths will spiral away from the light. The other half of the time moths will attempt to keep the light at an acute angle with respect to the intended direction. These moths will spiral in toward the light which, if it is a candle, will spell disaster... which is kinda ironic: disaster came from the Latin meaning ill star (dis + astro).
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fascinating bugs, moths :P
Date: 2004-04-14 10:36 am (UTC)I've always found them interesting because of their variety of size and shape, and their clever use of false 'eyes' to keep away predators.
(I'm author M. Jones, btw, LOL! I found your lj and friended it, I hope you don't mind?)
Re: fascinating bugs, moths :P
Date: 2004-04-14 06:20 pm (UTC)I'm very glad to meet you again here... and befriended, even better.
Yes, moths are beautiful. I love their patterns. Being more subdued than butterflies makes them pretty in a whole different way. They are like gorgeous little flying carpets. I have heard that those eye-shapes on the wings have another function as well as being distractions -- I have yet to verify this, but they are supposedly also production points for some pheromones to be received by other moths.
Re: fascinating bugs, moths :P
Date: 2004-04-14 06:36 pm (UTC)I had a peek at your lj. Cool!