ELi5: why do moths gravitate toward light during the night, where it’s absent, but nowhere to be found during the day, where it’s plentiful

Question

ELi5: why do moths gravitate toward light during the night, where it’s absent, but nowhere to be found during the day, where it’s plentiful

In: 22

Answer 1

Moths use the moon to orient themselves, so other, brighter lights at night cause them to have issues navigating. The moon is far enough away for it to essentially be a constant, enabling the moths to sustain flight in one direction. Human lights aren’t, confusing navigation and resulting in the moths flying in circles around them.

Almost all moth species are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. They are sleeping during the day and it’s even hypothesized that bright man made lights can result in moths thinking it’s daytime and going to sleep.