Insects' sensitivity to flash

Ever since somebody scolded me for, "hurting the insect with my bright flash", I've been wondering why some bugs do in fact not respond to a flash or even a bright laser pointer. Based on my experience, the bugs that fall into this category include house flies, male mosquitos, ants and a few others. Furthermore, even when a laser is pointed at their eye, they experience no disorientation. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here knew why this is the case. Thanks.

Can't help you with the "why," but I've taken thousands of flash shots of various bugs, and can't remember any showing much of a reaction at all, including those with "big" eyes... dragonflies, damsels, bees, mantids, etc. Jumping spiders have stopped to look up and around, but that's about it from my experience.

If you think about them being out in bright sunlight for hours on end, without eyelids... I don't see how a flash can bother them a whole lot, or cause any damage.

Can only say that flash does not seem to harm their eyes. I've taken very closeup shots of dragonflies with full flash and then watched them catch a midge in mid air. Many bugs do react to the flash though. The famous dolichopid flies often take flight with the TTL pre-flash but other bugs often react by freezing their movement.
Not so sure about a laser though- that could perhaps be dangerous.

Brian v.

Not sure either but between the light's wave lenght response in insects and their composite numerous eyes each looking at a different direction, some constantly towards sun, it should be the eye format that makes them not sensetive to light. Wounder if a conditional reflex (Pavlovian conditioning) initiated by light can be established on insects. May be time to check with a local biology class instructor for a nice research project.

samsen wrote in post #11402739
Not sure either but between the light's wave lenght response in insects and their composite numerous eyes each looking at a different direction, some constantly towards sun, it should be the eye format that makes them not sensetive to light. Wounder if a conditional reflex (Pavlovian conditioning) initiated by light can be established on insects. May be time to check with a local biology class instructor for a nice research project.

That might be interesting. I know an entomologist from the local university...