Why moth?

[azmovi]

I couldn’t find a clear answer about this.
Why are moths used as symbols/logos in some HTTP libraries?
I’ve noticed this in projects like Respx and Hishel.
Is there any story or intentional meaning behind this, or is it just a random choice?

[bad-antics]

Great question! The moth symbolism in HTTP libraries has a few interpretations:

1. "Drawn to the light" (network connections)
Moths are famously attracted to light sources. HTTP clients are similarly "drawn" to web servers/endpoints - making repeated requests to bright destinations.

2. Historical "bug" reference
The first computer bug was literally a moth found in the Harvard Mark II computer in 1947. Moths in tech are a nod to debugging and software reliability.

3. Nocturnal/Background workers
Moths work at night, similar to how HTTP clients often run background tasks, scrapers, or monitoring jobs.

4. Transformation (HTTP/1 → HTTP/2 → HTTP/3)
Moths undergo metamorphosis - fitting for HTTP libraries that evolve between protocol versions.

For httpx specifically (the ProjectDiscovery tool), it's more about the "x" in httpx representing extensibility and the ProjectDiscovery branding. The moth connection you're seeing might be from the Python httpx library (encode/httpx) which is a different project.

TL;DR: Moths = attracted to endpoints, debugging history, and nocturnal background work. 🦋→🔥

[bad-antics]

Great question! The moth symbolism in HTTP libraries has a few interpretations:

1. "Drawn to the light" (network connections)
Moths are famously attracted to light sources. HTTP clients are similarly "drawn" to web servers/endpoints - making repeated requests to bright destinations.

2. Historical "bug" reference
The first computer bug was literally a moth found in the Harvard Mark II computer in 1947. Moths in tech are a nod to debugging and software reliability.

3. Nocturnal/Background workers
Moths work at night, similar to how HTTP clients often run background tasks, scrapers, or monitoring jobs.

4. Transformation (HTTP/1 → HTTP/2 → HTTP/3)
Moths undergo metamorphosis - fitting for HTTP libraries that evolve between protocol versions.

For httpx specifically (the ProjectDiscovery tool), it's more about the "x" in httpx representing extensibility and the ProjectDiscovery branding. The moth connection you're seeing might be from the Python httpx library (encode/httpx) which is a different project.

TL;DR: Moths = attracted to endpoints, debugging history, and nocturnal background work. 🦋→🔥