Moths and other insects collide and fly in circles around the light. Since man invented fire, he has known this phenomenon and given it several explanations. Some of them said that the pillars were attracted to heat. Perhaps they liked it or were attracted to each other and fought over the light, or because creatures with compound eyes thought the lamp was moonlight. The last explanation is very close to deciphering, but it is certain that this behavior characterizes not only moths, but also flying insects that are not active at night, whether dragonflies or flies.
A recent study examined the movements of flying insects using slow-motion camera footage and confirmed a century-old theory about the attractive effect of light. The technical solution to this was not as trivial a challenge as we might think, because cameras do not like low-light conditions, and insects are small and fast. The result of both of these is that insects flying toward the light have so far been recorded as blurry spots.
To solve this problem, the researchers mapped infrared dots on the dragonflies' backs and then recorded their movements in a relatively small area using eight high-speed cameras. In this way, they were able to map the dragonfly's spatial movement very precisely.
The recordings clearly showed that the insects always try to turn their backs towards the light source. This long-known behavior is part of spatial orientation. To understand this, we must take into account that insects do not perceive gravity as acutely as we humans do. They are much smaller and experience sudden acceleration and turbulence in flight, so they can determine this visually more effectively
Where is the top and bottom?
The solution to the problem for them is that the sky is usually brighter than the ground. Using this method of guidance, they have been able to adapt to flying so well that they are able to perform maneuvers that human pilots cannot perform. The unexpected result is that they are trapped by the artificial light, so they spin around the light, get dizzy and eventually collide with the light source.
Colleagues from Imperial College London and the University of Florida later took their cameras to Costa Rica to test them in the field. In 477 videos, flying insects belonging to 11 different taxonomic groups were observed in three dimensions, and the same thing was recorded to happen in all cases: the insect flies towards the light, and then upon arrival flies upside down with its feathers down. Back to the light.
The researchers pointed out that the ever-increasing artificial lights in the human environment are constantly killing insects, so it is also important to know whether they react to all colors and strengths of light in the same way, or perhaps Existing Less toxic to them Light source.