Why are moths and other bugs attracted to lights?
967160
becuz they are just like rednecks they see somethign shiny they like "holy f*ck would u look at that d*mn thats soooo shinny omg...."
682163
in bed in the dark...there's something more vulnerable when you're not dressed.\n\nlike seeing a bug in the shower is SO much worse then a bug anywhere else.
641710
Insects are usually attracted towards light.Night insects may use light for mate finding or navigation.Some are attracted more by the UV rays.The perceived attraction to heat may be mainly due to the infrared emitted from many lamps and not per se due to heat.Insect species differ in their response to light and temperature.
174523
They coloration.\nMoths are mostly nocturnal.\nThey have bodies which help to pollinate flowers, so the flowers they lay their eggs on do not fall off.\nA moth will lay eggs on more than one flower.
995857
It's all about the color spectrum- ROYGBIV- And think more Blue, Indigo, Violet , more insects. More red, orange- less insects.\n\nMost insects see better in UV and are thus generally attracted to \nshort wave lengths toward that end of the spectrum. Insects do not see in the red end of the spectrum.
446900
Moths. Yes I know they are virtually harmless and do not even bite, but I am just scared sh*tless every time I see one of those creepy things fluttering towards me. The reason why I am so scared of them is because when I was about 13 my sister and my dad and I went camping. We had a paddle boat with up and my sister and I decided to take it out onto the lake after sunset. WELL. We got out on the lake and were paddling around when we turned on the flashlights. Moths like the stars. EVERYWHERE! In my hair, crawling all over me. My sister and naturally freaked out and I have been afraid ever sense.
1108371
To attract mates and/or discourage predators (since many butterflies are distasteful or toxic). Other butterflies evolve the same colors to mimic the toxic ones and gain some small protection thereby.
393085
The purpose of the glow varies. Those adult females which glow do so to attract a male for mating. The Lampyridae larvae are believed to glow to warn predators like toads not to eat the larvae as they're mildly toxic. But the Arachnocampa larvae on the other hand glow to attract prey like midges into sticky snare lines for the larva to feed on.
450340
They are programmed to spiral around the moon. \nThis keeps the insects evenly dispersed across the land and  helps to prevent inter-beading. But lights are brighter than the moon and fool them.\nIf you watch them move towards the light, you should notice that they spiral towards it.
794396
Moths cannot bite. They have long tongues which they use to suck nectar. They are totally incapable of doing you any harm.
330696
Insects are attracted to the light reflected of the plants and they are most certainly NOT color-blind. Bees can see into the ultra-violet end of the spectrum farther than humans so they don't see the same colors we do.
629505
Fireflies (family Lampyridae), also known as lightning bugs, are nocturnal, luminous beetles. These names come from the fact that some species as adults emit flashes of light to attract mates, using special light-emitting organs in the abdomen. The enzyme luciferase acts on the substrate luciferin to stimulate light emission. This reaction is of scientific interest, and genes coding for these substances have been spliced into many different organisms.\n\nMany species, especially in the genus Photinus, are distinguished by the unique courtship flash patterns emitted by flying males as they search for females. Photinus females generally do not fly, but give a flash response to males of their own species. Female photuris fireflies are known for mimicking the mating flashes of other fireflies for the sole purpose of predation[1].\n\n \nScanning electron micrograph of a fireflyMany species of lampyrid beetles do not glow as adults, but they all glow as larvae. The larvae of fireflies are generally known as glowworms (but see Phengodidae). Bioluminescence serves a different function in lampyrid larvae than it does in adults. Larval bioluminescence appears to be a warning signal to predators, since many firefly larvae contain chemicals that are distasteful or toxic.\n\nThere are more than 2000 species of firefly, found in temperate and tropical environments around the world.\n\nThe ancient Chinese sometimes captured fireflies in transparent or semi-transparent containers and used them as (short-term) lanterns.\n\nTropical fireflies, particularly in Southeast Asia (Thailand and Malaysia) routinely synchronize their flashes among large groups, a startling example of spontaneous biological order which has puzzled both behavioral scientists and mathematicians. This phenomenon occurs through the night along river banks in the Malaysian jungles every day of the year. The phenomena is significantly more rare in the Western hemisphere. Current hypotheses about the causes range from diet, social interaction and altitude. In the United States, one of the most famous sightings of fireflies blinking in unison occur near Elkmont, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains during the second week of June[2]. Congaree National Park in South Carolina is host to the phenomena at points at or above 2,000 feet in elevation[3][4].\n\nFireflies overwinter (sometimes for several years, depending on the species) during the larval stage by burrowing underground and emerge in the spring. After several weeks of feeding, they pupate for 2-2.5 weeks and emerge as adults.\n\nA few days after mating, a fertilized female will lay her eggs on or just below the surface of the ground. The eggs will hatch in 3-4 weeks and the larva will feed until the end of the summer when they will burrow underground to overwinter
1075848
Why do mosquitoes seem to bite some people, but not others? This phenomenon is not completely understood. Mosquitoes are attracted by the carbon dioxide that we - and other animals - exhale. They may also be attracted by various odors - perfume, perspiration, lactic acid, detergents - that combine in unique ways to make one victim more attractive than another as a meal. Because dark colors absorb heat and lighter colors tend to reflect heat, mosquitoes also tend to be more attracted to victims dressed in darker clothes. Also, some people react more violently to the bites than others and only appear to be bitten more often.
915195
Good question. Perhaps birds, their main predator, are sleeping at that time making it more safe to forage for food or collect nectar and so forth. So then why don't all bugs just do that? Not a question that is easily answered. Perhaps other bugs are much better at escaping becoming lunch or reproduce more rapidly. I am not positive about that. Bugs, and sometimes a lot of animals, don't always do things that would seem logical to a human being. But the way the question is posed it does make it appear as though the moths are somehow contradicting themselves or doing this that don't seem totally logical.
560955
Most moths hang out on trees, far as I now. Note that there patterning looks like bark.
1140476
they hide in places you never look in.  flies, like many other bugs, are active during daytime when it is warm. at night, when it is cool, they rest in sheltered areas like under the roof, in pipes, on the walls.  moths and other night bugs do the opposite.
50760
There are at least two theories (both unresolved).  Moths may be distracted from their navigation using moon light.  Or, moths try to avoid the light by seeking the darkness just beyond the light which is a confusing path.