Re: Do bugs sleep/ nap, and when (does it matter)?

Hi Benjamin,

In the general sense of the word, bugs definitely do sleep. They don't close their eyes, but their rates of oxygen consumption do drop at various periods during a 24 hour cycle. Does it matter when? You bet it does. An insect has various needs; they have to find a mate, find enough food and avoid predators in the process. Thus, every insect has their own time of day or night when sleep is appropriate for them. Moths tend to have a period of inactivity during the day. Like many other insects, they will find a place of refuge, such as the underside of a leaf, to avoid predators. For dragonflies, who hunt and court mates by sight, there is no point remaining active at night.

You may find more information on this subject in a book called Insect Photoperiodism by Stanley Beck.

Hope this helps

Richard Kingsley