this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2024
8 points (90.0% liked)

Aotearoa / New Zealand

1651 readers
4 users here now

Kia ora and welcome to !newzealand, a place to share and discuss anything about Aotearoa in general

Rules:

FAQ ~ NZ Community List ~ Join Matrix chatroom

 

Banner image by Bernard Spragg

Got an idea for next month's banner?

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Dave@lemmy.nz
RaoulDuke@lemmy.nz
8
Want to help our precious nocturnal bugs (lemmy.nz)
submitted 4 months ago by FloofahNZ@lemmy.nz to c/newzealand@lemmy.nz
6 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Want to help our precious nocturnal bugs during Matariki’s longer nights? Turn the lights down low

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520796/want-to-help-our-precious-nocturnal-bugs-during-matariki-s-longer-nights-turn-the-lights-down-low

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] FloofahNZ@lemmy.nz 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Here’s another article, this from Scientific American.

Seems there are several hypotheses on why insects are attracted to light, but no one really knows the actual reasons.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Thanks! It seems this is the same study. It seems the specifics are that insects are not directly attracted to the light, rather they expect a diffuse light source overhead (such as from the moon and stars) and use this to orient themselves. Their primative light detection can't tell the difference between this light and artificial light.

I would say this is more an explanation of how insects confuse artificial lights for moonlight, I wouldn't say it disproves the idea that insects confused artificial light for moonlight.

[–] FloofahNZ@lemmy.nz 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I guess the RNZ article was simply saying that turning off, or down, outside lights will prevent insects from being attracted to them and harmed.

In summer with windows open, we pull curtains before turning inside lights on. Not seen insects on the open window side of the curtain even with a low level through glow visible.

I’m not sure about the moonlight theory. As they will head towards a bright artificial light, why aren’t there clouds of insects heading out into space every bright full-moon?

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

It's not that they are heading towards the moon. The overhead moonlight tells them that towards the light is up. They aren't trying to head towards the light, I think one of the articles mentioned insects facing their back to the light. No matter how far they travel, the ground is dark and the sky is slightly lighter, so they can keep themselves level.

With an outdoor light, if they come near it then moving a metre away drastically changes the direction of the light. If they try to keep their back to the light, they end up curving up and around and back towards the light.

It's just a primative orientation system getting messed up by something that wasn't around when they evolved.

[–] FloofahNZ@lemmy.nz 3 points 4 months ago

Thanks, very interesting.