Key insights

• 🐜 Insects are not actually attracted to light, contrary to popular belief
• 🔍 Recent study provides official confirmation of insects' behavior around artificial light
• 🤔 Explanations for insect attraction to light were suggested but lacked evidence
• 🌅 Insects exhibit instinctual behavior called dorsal light response
• 💡 Artificial lights confuse insects and interfere with their orientation instincts
• 🌼 Artificial lights may harm insects, especially pollinators
• 🚦 New discovery about insects being trapped by artificial lights could lead to policy changes
• 🔬 Scientists are still exploring why insects react differently to artificial lights and whether colors or types of lights matter

Q&A

• What impact could the discovery about insects and artificial lights have on policy?

  The discovery of insects being trapped by artificial lights could potentially lead to policy changes to reduce the overall impact of light on insects. Scientists are also exploring why insects react differently to artificial lights and whether the colors or types of lights matter in affecting their behavior.

• What potential harm can artificial lights cause to insects?

  Artificial lights may harm insects, especially pollinators, impacting their natural instincts. Upward-facing lights are particularly problematic for insects. Reduction of outdoor lights can alleviate the issue, which is crucial since 90% of crops depend on pollinators.

• How do artificial lights affect insects' orientation instincts?

  Artificial lights confuse insects and interfere with their orientation instincts, causing them to spiral and fly in unusual, disoriented ways. They appear to orbit the light source, although they are not consciously trying to do so. Overhead light is slightly better than light coming from underneath, which can cause insects to spiral toward the ground.

• What instinctual behavior do insects exhibit in response to light?

  Insects exhibit an instinctual behavior called dorsal light response, where they change direction in response to light. This behavior helps control flight attitude and orientation. It has evolved over millions of years and is not limited to the sun and the moon; insects can sense the brightest source in the sky.

• What were the previously suggested explanations for insect attraction to light?

  Previous explanations for why insects are attracted to light have included innate response, mistaking artificial light for the moon, heat attraction, and being blinded by the light. However, none of these explanations could be supported by evidence prior to the recent study.

• What did a recent study reveal about insects and light attraction?

  A recent study revealed that insects are not actually attracted to light, contrary to popular belief. Previous explanations included escape mechanisms and mistaking light for streaks of sunlight between foliage. This discovery contradicts the long-held assumption about insects being drawn to light.

• 00:00 Insects are not actually attracted to light despite appearing to be, as revealed by a recent study. Previous explanations for this phenomenon include escape mechanisms and mistaking light for streaks of sunlight between foliage.
• 01:48 Many explanations for why insects are attracted to light have been suggested, such as innate response, mistaking artificial light for the moon, heat attraction, and being blinded by the light, but none could be supported by evidence. Researchers used a fast camera and different light placements to study insect behavior and discovered that insects were not actually aiming at the light at all.
• 03:35 Insects exhibit instinctual behavior called dorsal light response, where they change direction in response to light; this behavior helps control flight attitude, evolved over millions of years, and is not limited to the sun and the moon.
• 05:31 Artificial lights confuse insects and interfere with their orientation instincts, causing them to spiral and fly in hectic ways. The insects appear disoriented and can get stuck in this behavior for a long time, with overhead light being slightly better than light coming from underneath.
• 07:24 Discovery shows that artificial lights may harm insects, especially pollinators. Upward-facing lights are the worst. Reduction of outdoor lights can help. 90% of crops depend on pollinators, so it's crucial to address this issue.
• 09:04 New discovery about insects being trapped by artificial lights could lead to policy changes. Some insects not affected by upward lights. Scientists are still exploring why insects react differently to artificial lights and whether colors or types of lights matter.