Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Every time without fail the moth heads for the flame. Every time its wings get burned. It never learns its lesson. Are moths stupid?
Not "stupid" - just driven by automatic reflexes to fly towards the light. They don't know it will kill them.
I recall one evening on holiday on Crete, that small night-time lamps on the steps approaching the holiday-flat all had squadrons of insects flying around them. The lamps would not kill the moths, but just to one side, hiding in the shadows cast by the lamp housings, were Praying Mantises waiting for juicy insects to come within pouncing range.
On another holiday, camping with a group of friends, we used a gas lantern on the table around which we sat in the evenings. That attracted many insects, usually to their doom... but we also noticed the bats were exploiting the situation, circling about twenty or thirty feet above our heads.
Crete? Oh my goodness Durdle. During the Armenian Genocide my dad and his parents fled to CRETE where they lived for a few years before emigrating to the US. Small world isn't it? I know I digressed but it just jumped off the page. Now with regard to moths they don't learn about dangers and pass that knowledge along to other moths? OR the light attraction is so strong nothing matters but going toward it? I mean if they KNOW it means eventual death would they still keep doing it? Does every living thing have another living thing that preys upon it? I shall ask. Thank you for your reply and Happy Friday to thee and thine. So was CRETE beautiful? My dad spoke Armenian of course, Turkish, Greek and then learned to speak English. My uncle married a Greek lady and she and my dad would rattle off in Greek from time to time. Small world. What are the odds that you were on holiday and went to Crete and my dad lived on Crete for a few years? Can that be calculated?
They navigate by using ambient night lights, like the moon and stars. We have confused them with our artificial lights, whether they be flames or electric. Watch as they revolve helter-skelter around a light bulb, trying to determine which way to go. (By the way...these are facts.)
Element 99 