Do you know Why Moths Fly to The Flame Please?

Question

Thanks

Answer 1

Moths are positively phototactic, which means they are attracted to light - porch light, your headlights or your campfire. While there is no definitive explanation for this phenomenon, there are some interesting theories.

Some types of moths are known to migrate, and it is possible they get the navigational clues from the night sky. A moth’s up-down orientation might depend in part on the brightness of the sky relative to the ground.

Some scientists suggest that moths use the moon as a primary reference point and have the ability to adjust their flight paths as the Earth’s rotation causes the moon to move across the sky.

Answer 2

Moths navigate at night by the moon as its reference.  Flames, lamps, candles, etc all present an alternate reference point which confuses the moths.

A moth will fly in circles around a light source, getting closer each time, until it reaches contact and ultimately death.

Some species of moths are on the verge of extinction because of this unintended consequence.

Answer 3

No brain :P

Answer 4

because they are attracted to the light

Answer 5

It was thought the moon had something to do with the attraction of moths to light. The so-called light-compass theory held that moths used the moon as a navigational beacon flying in a straight line keeping their direction of travel at a constant angle. The trouble arise when moths made their sightings on a close-up light source like a candle flame.Instead of heading in a straight line, they flew around the flame in an ever-narrowing spiral until finally getting burned sometimes.

Research made by Henry Shiao proved the theory to be incorrect. He found out that moths simply don't fly around lights in spirals. In his experiment he found that the moths flew more or less straight at the light until they got up close, at which point they veered off and circled around it at a more or less constant distance. They seldom actually touched the light.Moths are drawn to light from as far as 200 feet away but once they get near the light they actually try to avoid the light. Hsiao pointed out that moths as a nocturnal insects perceive any source of light as danger and figure out that the darkest part of the sky is safest.The moth doesn't fly directly away from the light due to a peculiarity of vision called a Mach band. A Mach band, which apparently is common to all sighted creatures, is the region surrounding a bright light that seems darker than any other part of the sky.So it circles the light in the Mach band region, usually at a radius of about one foot, depending on the species. Eventually either its momentum carries it away or it finds a dark corner to hole up in.

There are many other theories that evolved yet there are no any scientific data to support them. So why moths fly to light, could possibly be just due attraction or curiosity. (????)

Answer 6

Moths follow the moon for direction in the night, they get confused with flames and light bulbs.