Attraction to light

[Joseph G. Kunkel]

Joe,
The general theory I have liked is that many nocturnal insects navigate
by the moons position.  They try to keep the moon at a particular angle
to their path.  Then 50% of the insects in doing so in relation to a
bright light will spiral into the light.  The others with a angle
greater than tangent to the circle centered at the light will spiral
away from the light. Thus we catch about 50% of navigating insects in
the neighborhood of the light.
Sorry, I do not have any ready references but perhaps our other Lep
Listers will have that for you.
Cheers,
Joe Kunkel

joe caston wrote:
> Im tring to find information about why insects (particularly
> lepidoptera) are attracted to light.

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______________________________
Joe Kunkel, Professor
Biology Department, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
joe at bio.umass.edu  http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/