Motor responses of moths to low-intensity x-ray exposure.

A brief burst of x-rays elicited flight activity in moths placed in a darkened x-ray exposure room. Wing-beat activity was recorded as an index of this behavior. Wing-beat activity could be initiated in resting moths or amplitude augmented in active moths by x-ray dose rates of 0.01 to 1.5 roentgens per second, with a latency of less than 1 second after onset of exposure.