* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    South Park Is In Trouble And Needs To Change Course, Fast – yahoo.com

    South Park Faces Major Challenges and Must Adapt Fast to Survive

    ‘Netflix House’ entertainment complexes are coming. Here’s when they open – Los Angeles Times

    Exciting News: Netflix’s House Entertainment Complexes Are Opening Soon!

    ‘Big Brother’s’ Rylie Jeffries Finally Speaks Out on Katherine Woodman Controversy – El Paso Inc.

    Big Brother’s Rylie Jeffries Finally Speaks Out on Katherine Woodman Controversy

    ‘SNL’ Parts Ways With Emil Wakim Amid Rumored Season 51 Cast Shakeup – yahoo.com

    SNL Shakes Up Season 51 Cast with Emil Wakim’s Surprising Exit

    Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of Taylor Swift? – YouGov

    Do You Love Taylor Swift or Not? Share Your Thoughts!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    13 Top Technology Trends (2025) – Exploding Topics

    13 Game-Changing Technology Trends to Watch in 2025

    Japan’s legacy LCD and chip technology find new home in India – Nikkei Asia

    How Japan’s Breakthrough LCD and Chip Technologies Are Driving Innovation in India

    ITSWC 2025: Thursday sessions guide – Traffic Technology Today

    Your Ultimate Guide to Thursday Sessions at ITSWC 2025

    MC Machinery Technology Summit Showcases Manufacturing Innovations – Modern Machine Shop

    MC Machinery Technology Summit Unveils Cutting-Edge Manufacturing Innovations

    US-ROK Technology Cooperation Faces Rising Tensions – The National Interest

    Rising Tensions Put US-South Korea Technology Partnership to the Test

    The Role of AI and Technology in Shaping the Future of Interactive Entertainment – Technology Org

    How AI and Technology Are Transforming the Future of Interactive Entertainment

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    South Park Is In Trouble And Needs To Change Course, Fast – yahoo.com

    South Park Faces Major Challenges and Must Adapt Fast to Survive

    ‘Netflix House’ entertainment complexes are coming. Here’s when they open – Los Angeles Times

    Exciting News: Netflix’s House Entertainment Complexes Are Opening Soon!

    ‘Big Brother’s’ Rylie Jeffries Finally Speaks Out on Katherine Woodman Controversy – El Paso Inc.

    Big Brother’s Rylie Jeffries Finally Speaks Out on Katherine Woodman Controversy

    ‘SNL’ Parts Ways With Emil Wakim Amid Rumored Season 51 Cast Shakeup – yahoo.com

    SNL Shakes Up Season 51 Cast with Emil Wakim’s Surprising Exit

    Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of Taylor Swift? – YouGov

    Do You Love Taylor Swift or Not? Share Your Thoughts!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    13 Top Technology Trends (2025) – Exploding Topics

    13 Game-Changing Technology Trends to Watch in 2025

    Japan’s legacy LCD and chip technology find new home in India – Nikkei Asia

    How Japan’s Breakthrough LCD and Chip Technologies Are Driving Innovation in India

    ITSWC 2025: Thursday sessions guide – Traffic Technology Today

    Your Ultimate Guide to Thursday Sessions at ITSWC 2025

    MC Machinery Technology Summit Showcases Manufacturing Innovations – Modern Machine Shop

    MC Machinery Technology Summit Unveils Cutting-Edge Manufacturing Innovations

    US-ROK Technology Cooperation Faces Rising Tensions – The National Interest

    Rising Tensions Put US-South Korea Technology Partnership to the Test

    The Role of AI and Technology in Shaping the Future of Interactive Entertainment – Technology Org

    How AI and Technology Are Transforming the Future of Interactive Entertainment

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Why artificial light—and evolution—trap moths

January 30, 2024
in Science
Why artificial light—and evolution—trap moths
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

An international team of scientists believe they have finally found the elusive answer to the question of why moths are drawn to light. The artificial light appears to trap moths and other flying insects in a wonky flight pattern. The light makes them lose their sense of up and down, since they are used to following light in the night sky instead of on the ground. The moths aren’t necessarily attracted to the light, but are more likely trapped in its glow. The findings are described in a study published January 30 in the journal Nature Connections.

[Related: Light pollution is messing with coral reproduction.]

Millions of years of evolution

Moths and butterflies have called Earth home for at least 200 million years. Through that time, 

moths and other insects that fly at night may have evolved to tilt their heads back towards whatever direction is brightest. This light source was originally the stars and moonlight in the sky and not on the ground. This ensured that the bugs knew which way was up and kept them flying level. 

Three different observed turning behaviors in which flying insects turn their backs to artificial light. Three different observed turning behaviors in which flying insects turn their backs to artificial light. CREDIT: Jamie Theobald, CC BY-ND

When artificial light sources began to fill up the Earth, the moths found themselves tilting their backs at lamps in the street or fires. This caused them to fly in endless loops around the streetlamp, as they were trapped by instincts learned through millions of years of evolution.  

“This has been a prehistorical question. In the earliest writings, people were noticing this around fire,” study co-author and Florida International University biologist Jamie Theobald said in a statement. “It turns out all our speculations about why it happens have been wrong, so this is definitely the coolest project I’ve been part of.”

Monitoring flight paths

In the study, a team of international researchers in the Costa Rican cloud forest used high resolution and high-speed infrared video recordings to capture insect flight paths around artificial lights. They collected over 477 videos spanning more than 11 insect orders. This technology was able to capture the insects’ fast and frenzied orbits by the lights and was used to reconstruct points of their flight paths in three dimensions. The team noticed that moths and dragonflies turned their backs to artificial lights, which appeared to drastically change their flight paths. The insects may have thought that the lights were a source of light in the sky and not on the ground.

CREDIT: Florida International University.

“If the light’s above them, they might start orbiting it, but if it’s behind them, they start tilting backwards and that can cause them to climb up and up until they stall,” study co-author and Imperial College London entomologist Sam Fabian told The Guardian. “More dramatic is when they fly directly over a light. They flip themselves upside down and that can lead to crashes. It really suggests that the moth is confused as to which way is up.”

The research has some entomologists buzzing, since it provides a potential answer to a phenomenon in nature that is millions of years old.

Conservation concerns

This study is the first known documentation of this behavior in nocturnal insects and provides a new possible explanation of why lights seem to attract moths. While it appears to confirm that light is disruptive, it also gives new insights into a conservation concern. Light pollution is a major reason behind recent declines in insect populations. Moths and other insects can become trapped in the lights and become easy prey for bats. The fake light can also make moths believe that it is daytime and signal that it is time to sleep and not eat.

[Related: City lights could trigger a baby boom for some moths and butterflies.]

The study also suggests light direction matters when designing and installing exterior lights. According to the team, the worst direction is an upward facing or bare bulb. Shrouding or shielding a lightbulb could help offset the negative impacts.

Scientists are also beginning to think about how light color impacts flying nocturnal insects. The unexplained mystery of how these insects are initially attracted to light over great distances also still remains. 

“I’d been told before you can’t ask why questions like this one, that there was no point,” Yash Sondhi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History and study co-author, said in a statement. “But in being persistent and finding the right people, we came up with an answer none of us really thought of, but that’s so important to increasing awareness about how light impacts insect populations and informing changes that can help them out.”

Laura Baisas

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Popular Science – https://www.popsci.com/environment/moths-light-confused/

Tags: Artificiallight—andscience
Previous Post

Antarctic penguins are now dying from the H5N1 strain of bird flu

Next Post

Elon Musk alleges Neuralink completed its first human trial implant

First Human Case of New World Screwworm in the US: What You Need to Know

August 30, 2025
Canadian Economy Contracts 0.4%; US Tariffs Drive Losses – Mexico Business News

Canadian Economy Contracts 0.4% Amid Rising US Tariff Pressures on Trade

August 30, 2025
Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

August 30, 2025
The vaccine and public health debate at the center of CDC upheaval, explained – CNBC

The vaccine and public health debate at the center of CDC upheaval, explained – CNBC

August 30, 2025
Trump revokes Secret Service detail for political opponent Kamala Harris – Al Jazeera

Trump revokes Secret Service detail for political opponent Kamala Harris – Al Jazeera

August 30, 2025
Epic Palmer Museum exhibition explores 30 years of ecology and art – Penn State University

Epic Palmer Museum exhibition explores 30 years of ecology and art – Penn State University

August 30, 2025
An ER Doctor Reflects On Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later | Science Friday – WNYC Studios | Podcasts

A Veteran ER Doctor Shares Powerful Reflections on Hurricane Katrina’s Lasting Impact, 20 Years On

August 30, 2025
Chinese scientists create multicolored glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge in sunlight – Live Science

Chinese Scientists Create Stunning Multicolored Glow-in-the-Dark Succulents That Recharge in Sunlight

August 30, 2025
Gears of War: Reloaded (PS5) Review: Iconic Shooter Finally on PS5 – PlayStation LifeStyle

Gears of War: Reloaded (PS5) Review – The Iconic Shooter Makes a Triumphant Return on PlayStation 5

August 30, 2025
IT outages are plaguing air travel. Here’s what to know – CNN

Massive IT Outages Ground Flights Nationwide: Essential Info for Travelers

August 30, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (797)
  • Economy (817)
  • Entertainment (21,696)
  • General (16,755)
  • Health (9,858)
  • Lifestyle (830)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (817)
  • Politics (824)
  • Science (16,026)
  • Sports (21,315)
  • Technology (15,796)
  • World (798)

Recent News

First Human Case of New World Screwworm in the US: What You Need to Know

August 30, 2025
Canadian Economy Contracts 0.4%; US Tariffs Drive Losses – Mexico Business News

Canadian Economy Contracts 0.4% Amid Rising US Tariff Pressures on Trade

August 30, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version