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.

top 19 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] sping@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Was that not the common understanding? That's what I always assumed was happening - I think I was told as much as a small child.

I suppose it's confirmed by spatial analysis now.

[–] StaticFalconar@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago (5 children)

What part of your history/background made that a common understanding? Its more 'common sense' to claim bugs go to the light for warmth or attraction to light. Are your parents scientists?

[–] RandomStickman@kbin.run 13 points 9 months ago

No OP but I read many fun scientific facts type of books as a kid and I've came across lights confusing bugs as a hypothesis before

[–] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I am assuming that somebody in their community saw the bugs going in fairly consistent circles, thought about what they were doing, and used common sense to decide that the bugs were trying to keep the light in one side of their body for some reason.

It does solve the problem of "why don't insects all try to fly into the sun?" which the warmth-seeking hypothesis didn't explain

[–] StaticFalconar@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Observing the bugs going in fairly consistent circles is a level of observation higher than what most kids do, and is the level of detail needed to start thinking something different than bugs are attracted to light hypothesis when the level of observation didnt include wich detail.

[–] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 9 months ago

Tbh if my kid came up with something like that, I would not stop bragging about it to teachers and other people with a psych background

[–] asmoranomar@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

I was always told the bugs use moonlight for navigation, and artificial light of any kind throws them off. But as a kid, I didn't question it and there was no reason to verify or prove it. It was simple and made sense. I'm not saying my interpretation was common sense, but I also never heard someone say bugs fly to light for warmth. My 7 yr old ass would probably question how bugs existed before fire or something stupid.

[–] sping@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 9 months ago

Really I always thought, and I don't assume it was my original thought, that they probably were used to keeping the moon at a fixed relative position and they did the same with artificial light.

This is the first time I've heard any suggestion of being attracted directly towards the light. How would that make sense? They'd just fly straight at the moon on a clear night.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Personally, I believe I saw that theory on national television here in Germany...

[–] StaticFalconar@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

The good thing about science is others can try to replicate the experiment to see if they get the same results.

[–] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The previous (barely tested) model was that they were actively trying to fly to the light. Previous research tested what qualities of the light caused the behavior, but there was very little research into what exactly was going on in their tiny bug brains that made them do that.

[–] sping@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 9 months ago

they were actively trying to fly to the light

I can't see how that could make sense. They'd all just fly straight up at the moon. You can see them all flying in circles around lights.

[–] Confused_Emus@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I saw Anton’s video on this and get what’s happening here. But at the same time, can we really say these bugs were “going” somewhere to begin with? Are they just as happy flying in circles for hours on end as flying in a straight line? Would they know the difference?

[–] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That is a very good point. My concern is that some of these bugs are pollinators, and spending god only knows how long circling that light is wasting time and energy they could be using to pollinate

[–] Confused_Emus@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

Yes! That is definitely a concern i didn’t consider. I feel like downward focused light can only be helpful. Aside from the flying insects, less light pollution is better for our telescopes.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 4 points 9 months ago

I mean, even if they did truly just set off in a random direction, they would still probably do so in hopes of finding food, water, mating opportunities etc..
Circling lamps isn't going to aid their chance of survival, and we do already have a pretty big problem of insects dying from climate change and pesticides.

[–] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

I learned this when I was like 5 years old. How is this "breaking news?"

[–] CrayonRosary@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

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@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 months ago

As another comment noted, this negatively affects pollinators too