Why flying insects gather at artificial light - Nature Communications
www.nature.com
It is unclear why flying insects congregate around artificial light sources. Here, the authors use high-speed videography and motion-capture, finding that insects fly perpendicular to light sources due to a disruption of the dorsal light response.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/14539407

breaking news: light pollution sends bugs to hell

Preexisting research into bugs circling lights was mainly to see what properties of the lights attracted the bugs, which is how we know that certain LED lights can prevent the bugs from flying towards it.

This study, however, showed that the bugs aren’t trying to get to the light at all. The light triggers their dorsal reflex, causing them to recalibrate their sense of direction to keep the light at a fixed angle from their perspective. The bugs think they are going in a straight line, forever, and they never get to where they are going.

  • CrayonRosary@lemmy.world
    5·
    11 months ago

    Damnit, that makes me sad. I was better off being ignorant.

    Still, I guess they’re just dumb little insects. What should I care? It helps all the spiders that hang out near lights to catch them.

    • Galapagon
      3·
      11 months ago

      As another comment noted, this negatively affects pollinators too