A Brief Summary of Insects\u27s Vision and Their Response to Light

Insects have been studied and observed since man first walked this earth. Man\u27s first observation was that some insects were quite palatable. One of Christ\u27s contemporary\u27s, John the Baptist, maintained a diet which consisted of honey and locusts . The spittings of another insect provided nourishment for the Children of Israel during the Exodus. Even today insects are of primary importance in the ecology. It is only a small minority of the insect population that are nuisances. The vast majority of the insect population is not only beneficial to man but also to the rest of the animal kingdom and to a great degree, the plant kingdom. One of the insects\u27 most notable characteristics is their attraction to light. Even the most disinterested and unobservant person has noticed, at one time or another, the swarms of moths around a street light or the mosquitoes around a campfire. This fascinating reaction of insects will be explored in this paper. Although much work has been done by such notable entomologists as R. F. Chapman, Raimon L. Beard, and John Buch, there remains a great deal to be disclosed regarding insects actions and reactions