Why are moths fatally attracted to light?

Phototaxis is an organism's automatic movement toward or away from light. Cockroaches are an example of a negatively phototactic organism. You've probably noticed how they scurry back into dark corners and crevices when you illuminate their late-night snacking party in your kitchen. read more

Moths are not attracted to light. They navigate by light, operating under the assumption that the main source of light is far, far away - i.e. the moon. If, say, a moth keeps the moon always on its left-hand side, it will fly in a vaguely straight line for a fair while. read more

To understand this phenomenon, you need to know about phototaxis. Phototaxis is an organism's automatic movement toward or away from light. Cockroaches are an example of a negatively phototactic organism. read more

Moths are not ‘fatally’ attracted to light unless the light is a fire, ‘like a moth to a flame’. I use a light trap to trap/sample the moth species in a neighborhood. It is a so-called ‘black-light’ which is principally a very bright ultraviolet light, to which insects are particularly sensitive and ‘attracted’. read more

which originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. read more

A moth's eyes, like a human's eyes, contain light sensors and adjust according to the amount of light the sensors detect. read more