This meme is so funny cause moths actually don’t like lamps, they get trapped by a reflex that makes them turn their dorsal side towards the light, they think they are flying upright cause in nature the light is always up in the sky
New high-speed camera footage shows that they basically fly around the lamp, not directly towards the lamp, they must always keep their back facing the light, that’s how they know they are flying parallel to the ground, by flying with their backs facing the sun or the moon. Now with artificial light they get confused and fly around and around occasionally bumping into the light cause they get to close, something that wouldn’t happen with the sun or the moon.
This meme is so funny cause moths actually don’t like lamps, they get trapped by a reflex that makes them turn their dorsal side towards the light, they think they are flying upright cause in nature the light is always up in the sky
light isn’t always up btw. it can also be down a reflection in the water, e.g. moonlight.
Aaah just like my navigation software. I don’t like using it, I’m just trapped
But why are they flying towards the lamp? They don’t fly towards the sun. Or are they flying around the lamp? I’m confused
New high-speed camera footage shows that they basically fly around the lamp, not directly towards the lamp, they must always keep their back facing the light, that’s how they know they are flying parallel to the ground, by flying with their backs facing the sun or the moon. Now with artificial light they get confused and fly around and around occasionally bumping into the light cause they get to close, something that wouldn’t happen with the sun or the moon.
https://youtube.com/shorts/7mG7RH2XY-g
You just turned a regular moth month into moth education month.
Seriously, thank you! It makes a lot of sense now