Christopher Fry: "Between our birth and death we may touch understanding, As a moth brushes a window with its wing"

As the Australian openers got ready to bat in their innings to chase England’s decent score in the semi-final of the 2009 Champions trophy cricket match in Centurion grounds in South Africa, an army of flying ants invaded the pitch and held up play for a few minutes.

Moths get attracted to lights, reasons for the same are unknown. Scientists have created a handful of hypothesis to explain this phenomenon; none too conclusively. One interesting theory why moths are attracted to candle flames is that it coincides with vibration frequencies of female moth pheromones.

Like the Australian batsmen, menfolks in Africa aren't too concerned about the cause of flying ants. In Malawi, ‘warm heart of Africa’, one of the most popular snacks is fried winged ant. Deep fried in oil with lots of salt, it's said to be crunchy, delicious and nutritious. Fishermen catch them, freeze them and use them as baits.

They live for a night, usually, and sometimes just a few hours. They die quickly in large families in order to create further colonies of future flying ants. The poor moths in the Centurion park were attracted to the huge flood lights and met their dreaded fate.

The cricket match eventually started after the brief stoppage and as of going to press with this piece of article, the fate of England’s chances hangs in balance as Punter is sending the ball flying from the middle of his willow. Keeping him company is Watto. Flying ants, dead or alive, have not stopped the Australians so far.

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I Am New,
Krish Murali Eswar.
Picture Courtesy: Cricinfo.com