Like a moth to a flame: Navigate like a nocturnal moth

Want to see a moth? Find a light.

Moths are positively phototactic, meaning they instinctively move toward light. According to How Stuff Works, this is why we often see moths cluttered around streetlamps, porch lights and other sources that light up the night sky.

Scientists don’t know for sure why moths are drawn to flames and other bright light, though. One theory holds moths are looking for flower nectar, which glows in the dark to their eyes. Another says male moths might think a lamp is a female moth — who also seem to glow in the dark to other moths — and they are trying to mate.

Perhaps the most well-known theory to explain moth’s attraction to light goes like this: moths use the moon to navigate the world, and lamps and other lights confuse them.

To experience what a moth might feel like when it heads straight for a light, try this activity adapted from How Stuff Works.

1. Take a walk with a grown-up on a street with a streetlamp on a night when the moon is bright.

2. Stand so you can see the moon over your shoulder.

3. Start walking, keeping your eyes on the moon. Notice that to keep the moon over your shoulder, you don’t have to turn your head, and you can walk in a straight line.

4. Now find a streetlamp. Stand so it’s over your shoulder.

5. Start walking again, keeping your eyes on the streetlamp. You’re walking in circles! This might be how a moth feels — leading it to fly in circles until its so close to the streetlamp it can’t escape.

Comments: molly.duffy@thegazette.com