Are Moths Blind?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 27, 2020

No, moths are not blind, nor do they have bad eyesight. Moths actually have two sets of eye chambers, making their vision better than that of many other insects.

Many people believe moths to be blind due to their intense attraction to light, but that attraction is actually because of a phenomenon known as phototaxis, an automatic movement toward light. Moths repeatedly hit things such as lamps, headlights or bulbs because of the temporary blindness caused by their eyes’ inability to adjust quickly to bright, sudden light. This phenomenon often occurs with humans too, such as when someone turns on a light after hours in the dark.