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The bugs around the streetlight are being tricked to think they are going in a straight line. They are doing the aerial equivalent of an ant death spiral. (www.nature.com)
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/science@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/14539407

breaking news: light pollution sends bugs to hell

Preexisting research into bugs circling lights was mainly to see what properties of the lights attracted the bugs, which is how we know that certain LED lights can prevent the bugs from flying towards it.

This study, however, showed that the bugs aren't trying to get to the light at all. The light triggers their dorsal reflex, causing them to recalibrate their sense of direction to keep the light at a fixed angle from their perspective. The bugs think they are going in a straight line, forever, and they never get to where they are going.

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[-] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 11 months ago

That is a very good point. My concern is that some of these bugs are pollinators, and spending god only knows how long circling that light is wasting time and energy they could be using to pollinate

[-] Confused_Emus@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Yes! That is definitely a concern i didn’t consider. I feel like downward focused light can only be helpful. Aside from the flying insects, less light pollution is better for our telescopes.

this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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