Why do moths come out at night (when it's dark), but then hover near a light? Why don't they just come out during the day like a normal butterfly?
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ANSWERS: 6
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Probably moths come out at night because the day time is full of butterflies. An empty niche is usually better to colonise. They don't hover near lights, they either fly into them or away from them. The conjecture is that the only bright lights in nature are the moon, and reflections of it, which are very distant. The moths have learned to fly in a straight line by flying at a constant angle to it. Unfortunately, when humans introduce nearby lights, flying at a constant angle has a 50/50 chance of making you fly into the light. So the moths are following a lifestyle that has worked well for millions of years - until humans mucked it up.
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I agree, but...behind the light is the darkest spot believe it or not. They are looking for the dark spot when they are mashing into it. They may not be very smart but they do know that from instinct or something. .........as for lights that aren't against a wall or surface they aren't going to find a dark spot. Such as a streetlight. They may be there buzzing around all night, or they could be smart and fly away. BUT...i'm still not quite sure why they like the dark so much...??? VERY STRANGE
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Moths are by nature nocturnal insects. They only come out during the night and during the day will be resting under the leaves or in the barks of trees ( hiding )
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Most moths are nocturnal. But when they see a light they may be drawn to it and feel like they have to use it to navigate to a safe place so they can rest as 'day' is coming soon. They may use the moon and stars to navigate with and when there are other lights, it may confuse them and they fly towards them and down, seeking shelter for the day.
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Many moths are also diurnal. Like hummingbird moths.
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Moths and butterflies are two separate groups of lepidoptera. Most butterflies are diurnal (active during day) and most moths are noctural (active at night). Each animal behaves according to how it's brain is 'wired' by millions of years of evolution. Neither is normal or abnormal. Both groups are very successful in their respective ecological niches. The light-seeking behavior is not fully understood. Migratory species might navigate by the light of the moon. Or the behavior might be a defensive escape mechanism to fly toward the moon (i.e., up toward the sky). Other conjectures abound.
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