Researchers Discover How Moths See in the Dark

Scientists from Georgia Tech conducted an experiment using a robotic flower and infrared cameras to understand how moths are able to see at night.

Hawk moths were the specific species tested in this endeavor because of their “superposition compound eyes,” according to The Verge. [1] This gives the insects the ability to see a thousand times more sensitively in low light environments compared to bugs with regular compound eyes.

But to see at night, hawk moths need a million times more sensitivity than their counterparts with traditional eyes, The Verge said.

The team set out to assess how the hawk moth could see in different lighting conditions. Results were published in the journal Science [2], and the Georgia Tech researchers posted the following video illustrating their findings.

Watch below.