Attracted to the flame like a moth...

Isnt it interesting how a flame can hold your attention. It's like being hypnotised when you stare hard enough into the flame. Your senses are mesmerized by the light and you cant seem to look away. For some reason, the picture on my computer had the same effect on me last night.. but then again, it was 4am and I was pretty tired. Still, it got me thinking, why are moths attracted to light? Some of them die a horrible death flying into flames. That's smart! But why are moths so stupid? I decided to research the topic a little bit (an excellent excuse to stop preparations for my assessment) and here are the results;

Not all moths are attracted to the light. Apparently, moths which are active in the day time are attracted to light whereas those at night are not too bothered about light. Therefore, SOME moths are attracted to light, and of those attracted to light, some of those moths are attracted to artificial light, and of those moths, some are attracted to different types of articial light. Light from the sun and from an artificial light have the same properties. Some are attracted to light, per se, but others are attracted by light that has short bandwidths like blue or violet light than they are those with longer bandwidths like yellow or red light, SOME insects prefer light that emits ultra-violet light.
Light is a way in which insects find food.Moths at night are probably seeking night blooming flowers that reflect ultra violet light or certain light colors from the moon. The moths recognize the reflected light as a food source. However, it is difficult for them to distinguish the light from a bulb from that of a plant. Alternatively, others may be active at night to avoid predators.

As we learned how to control fire, then moths had to deal with a new source of light. Moths that are attracted to artificial light may be on a disaster path. Bug zappers use light to kill insects, car lights attract insects, lights that attract insects bring them close to humans armed with insecticides. This is all disastrous to an insect... unless they want to commit suicide that is...

Hence, the moral of the entry is, not all moths are stupid. Only those attracted to light. I hear it's the same with frogs. If you want to catch a frog, shine your torch into it's eyes and it'll be mesmerized. Try to avoid the poisonous ones though...