We were sitting at the campfire when a May beetle (June bug) lumbered into the fire light. After circling the fire's perimeter a few times his flight path became more and more elliptical until he flew right through the heat column. The blast of heat knocked him to the ground about 4 or 5 feet away. Since he didn't move for a couple of minutes we assumed he was dead. But then we heard buzzing and once again he was airborne. This next sortie was even more awkward and he seemed barely able to remain aloft.
Again he flew through the fire but this time he was badly burned and crumpled to the ground about a foot from the fire pit's edge.
After lying on his back several minutes he slowly righted himself and used his last bit of life to laboriously approach the fire pit. With slow determination he crested the field-stone barrier and tumbled down into the coals.
I've never understood the moth and flame phenomenon. I thought insects were "programmed" to survive. Apparently the propensity for light/heat is so strong that it supersedes the survival instinct.
Why?
This compulsion must serve some purpose but I sure don't know what it is. I think it's very, very odd.
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