to think that if moths haven't evolved sufficiently

[sevenkeystomysoul]

to discern between a light bulb and whatever it is they're attracted to (naked flame? why? could someone enlighten me? - no pun intended) they should really have died out as a species by now. I don't mind them in general, but I had about 20 fluttering around in the house last night (windows open, lights on) and they're pretty gross en masse. Several expired moths on the kitchen table this morning too. What is the deal with these fuckers anyway?

I think it's the moon they are after. You need to tell them, Star Wars style, "That's no moon". Sorted.

Something to do with navigating by the moon?

they would naturally try to keep it on their right for example, to go in a straight line, but if you keep a light bulb on your right you just end up spiralling into it...

Thanks Nux, I'll try that tonight, might even get the light sabre out, on second thoughts... But really, electricty has been around for a while now, you'd think they'd learn/evolve/whatever. What purpose do they serve, anyway? I don't hate them, but don't know what the point of them is in the ecological hierarchy. I hate spiders (to the point of phobia) but at least know what purpose they serve. Moths? Why?

electricity hasn't been around for that long
They'll evolve before much longer (didn't take the underground mice too long) as all the stupid ones will be incinerated on BBQs and candles.

We could speed up this process by ensuring we have lots of tiki torches in all our gardens

Moths are good for... er... feeding bats?

(are you not a fan of bats either? )

Always when your on the toilet half asleep, they flutter into the light fitting causing mutant 8 foot moth shadow to circulate round the bathroom walls.

Then they bounce of the hot bulb and start relaying madly round the tiny toilet flapping all over your face.

Ugggh.

Not as bad as Daddylonglegs who can't even steer themselves and float around you uselessly - lazy gits.

you're sorry, not your

How did the underground mice evolve then Jareth?

You know what bothers me about moths? When you squish them (sorry, moth lovers) there are no guts. They just smudge. That's not right.

Yuno - they have teeny tiny ears because the trains are so loud.

(honest!)

TheHeathenOfSuburbia, I don't mind bats, they tend to stay out of my house. Is that really the purpose of moths? Bat-fodder? I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for moths now. IFancyKevinELevin, don't they get in your face though? They have real personal boundary issues. They also make horrible marks on the paintwork when you try to kill them pick them up gently with a tissue and put them outside. After last night's mothfest, I went into my bedroom and there was a bloody great big daddy long legs suspended above my bed, just to rub salt into the wound. That, too, went the way of the tissue .

Hyphen malfunction

Bloody Daddy Bloody Long Bloody Legs - are my nemesis.

Their only purpose in life is to waft. Then wait until you have vacummed and pile up in a corner of the room, making you look like a slut that never cleans.

I only hope I don't come back as one in my next life. But after writing this I am probably doomed to. A well it'll be a short life cycle and then hopefully I'll come back as something more useful.

Hopefully not a Panda, the dole scum of the animal world. Too lazy to mate fgs, what's that about?

Moths eat smaller flying insects, and they're eaten by owls and random rodents if they can grab them.. who knows what the greater purpose is

dole scum of the animal world?
that's a bit odd!

Lol IFancyKevinELevin, you have a real problem with lazy insects/mammals, don't you? Do you like wasps and hamsters? I love Pandas, but I would object to one flying in through my window and hovering above my bed .

Some types of plants, especially orchids can only be fertilized by butterflies and moths because they need their long tongues.

Pollinators. very important to organic farming and stuff

(went to butterfly world last week - v excited about nice insects...!)

Moths pollinate certain plants - so all those ones at the moment that smell stronger in the evening, like jasmine, night-scented stock, tobacco etc - they are all seducing the moths. That's why they smell stronger at night.

SandyBits - you are quite right, there is something wrong with that. Very odd.