science

Like a moth to flame, many scientists and poets have long assumed that flying insects were simply, inexorably drawn to bright lights.

But that’s not exactly what’s going on, a new study suggests.

Rather than being attracted to light, researchers believe that artificial lights at night may actually scramble flying insects’ innate navigational systems, causing them to flutter in confusion around porch lamps, street lights and other artificial beacons.

“Insects have a navigational problem,” said Tyson Hedrick, a biologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who was not involved in the research. “They’re accustomed to using light as a cue to know which way is up.”