Luminous Logic: Why Fireflies May Glow to Fend off Foes

 Abstract:

What advantage could their possibly be to making yourself visible to predators at night? A new study showing bugs being trapped by artifical light may provide a mechanism that benefits this adaption. What better way to protect yourself from predators than by making them turn their backs on you?

Body:

Fireflies are quite beautiful. We have quite a few who fly around my lawn at night, blinking and shining for my enjoyment. But why? Maybe this is one of those thoughts that only come to the most bored of us, but i think I found the answer. Using Darwin's evolution theory and the new findings on how insects react to light i believe we can combine these into a cohesive theory. What better way to prevent yourself from being eaten than by making want to be insect predators turn their backs?

So why do insects turn their backs to bright lights? New findings suggest that this is to assist in flight. I think without a scientific degree this makes natural sense, given the brightest light naturally found being the sun. Orienting yourself with the sun at your back to keep you balanced in flight is an ingenious way to prevent needless crashes. I theorize, Fireflies are leveraging this through their biology for their own advantage.

References:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/251217/flying-insects-become-disorientated-trapped-artificial/#:~:text=Most%20flying%20insects%20display%20the,to%20the%20direction%20of%20gravity.